Fanning the Flames
by madmother2
Summary: As Jean-Luc and Deanna adjust to their new relationship an away team incident leads to revelations. This is the sequel to Lighting a Fire.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Author's note: This story starts approximately one month after the events in 'Lighting a Fire'. Please read that first. Thank you everyone who reviewed 'Lighting a Fire'; it's greatly appreciated. Please note that I will not be following the timeline as laid out in 'Insurrection' etc.

Chapter One

Jean-Luc was woken by the sound of someone falling followed by a yelp of pain. Sitting bolt upright, he said,

'Computer, lights.'

The lights showed Deanna struggling to her feet by the bedroom door. She was bleeding profusely from a cut on her forehead and, as he looked at her in horror, she tried to raise her hand to her head only to stop with a hiss of pain. Leaping out of bed, Jean-Luc hurried towards her, only to stumble and nearly trip himself. Looking down, he saw his boots lying on the floor in the middle of the doorway, perfectly positioned to trip anyone who didn't know that they were there. Particularly someone who was getting up in the dark to avoid waking their lover, who was on a different shift. Regaining his footing, Jean-Luc carefully put an arm around Deanna, making sure that he didn't jostle her arm, and said,

'Computer, two to transport to Sickbay.'

As the transporter beam took them, Jean-Luc braced himself for the well-deserved tongue-lashing that he was certain to get from Beverly.  
>When they materialised in Sickbay, Dean Rivers was the doctor on duty and Jean-Luc realised that it was earlier than he had thought. Doctor Rivers hurried over to them, saying,<p>

'What happened?'

'I tripped and hit my head and shoulder on the door frame,' replied Deanna.

Dean quickly scanned Deanna with his medical tricorder to check for any other injuries,

'Laceration on left side of forehead, bruising to the forehead, left clavicle broken, bruising on left palm. Nothing to worry about. Captain, could you help Counsellor Troi sit on the bio bed, please.'

Jean-Luc obeyed, feeling guilty and helpless.

Doctor Rivers disappeared into the main office and Nurse Rega went into the main storeroom, returning a few seconds later with a pair of loose drawstring trousers and a blanket. It was only when she handed him the trousers that Jean-Luc remembered that he and Deanna were both naked. As he slipped the trousers on, the nurse wrapped the blanket round Deanna, tucking it in underneath her right armpit, leaving her shoulders bare. Jean-Luc nodded his thanks to the nurse, glad that Sickbay was empty this morning. All of the medical staff except Dean Rivers had seen him naked numerous times but they always respected patient confidentiality so he didn't feel too self-conscious in front of them. The thought of appearing naked in front of other crewmembers still embarrassed him even though he knew that they would have understood that getting Deanna to Sickbay was more important than dressing.

Dean Rivers nervously checked Deanna Troi's medical records for any known allergies. To his relief, Doctor Crusher had clear and extensive records on Counsellor Troi's reactions to all the common medicines and gave a list of recommended medicines and dosages. Relaxing he chose the first painkiller from the list and double-checked the dose before loading it into the hyposray. Leaving the office, he returned to the bio bed and raised the hypospray, saying,

'I'm going to give you a painkiller.'

Deanna nodded and then sighed as the pain began to recede. Dean continued,

'I'll close the wound on your head first, then repair your collar bone and then deal with the bruises.'

Jean-Luc stepped back and watched as Dean calmly repaired the damage that his carelessness had caused. Once Dean had finished his first round of repairs he asked Deanna to lie on the bio bed so that he could confirm the medical tricorder readings. Medical tricorders were very good but they didn't have the capability of a bio bed so it was standard procedure to double check whenever possible. As Deanna lay down, Jean-Luc came back to her side, intending to apologise. However, as he looked down at her he found himself thinking how tiny and fragile she looked, like a delicate child. The absurdity of that assumption suddenly struck him and he bit back a laugh. A second later he found himself face to face with an irate woman,

'Is there something funny about this?'

'No, of course not.'

'Then what was so amusing?'

'When you lay back I had a sudden image of you as delicate and helpless and then I remembered that time on Dionara when those men were bothering you…'

'And I used the Klingon nut cruncher on them.'

'Yes, and no one dared to make eye contact with you for the rest of the evening.'

Deanna could tell that Jean-Luc was telling the truth so she forced her anger aside and lay back down on the bio bed so that Dean could finish his examination.

It was clear that Deanna was still angry and Jean-Luc realised that he still hadn't apologised for leaving his boots in the way,

'Deanna, I'm sorry that I was so careless. It won't happen again.'

Jean-Luc's remorse was genuine and Deanna felt her anger melting away,

'Apology accepted.'

Deanna smiled and Jean-Luc felt warmth spreading through him. He returned her smile and reached out to take her hand. He was about to suggest that they plan some time off together when the doors to Sickbay opened to admit Beverly, who immediately came over to them, saying,

'What happened?'

'I left my boots in the middle of the floor last night and Deanna tripped over them this morning getting up,' replied Jean-Luc, bracing himself.

Beverly glared at him but turned to Dean to find out the medical details first. Having received the details of Deanna's injuries and updates from the rest of gamma shift, Beverly relieved Dean and he left. Going to Deanna's side, she said,

'You should be fine. Luckily you didn't do any damage to your skull and there's no concussion. No heavy lifting with your left arm for forty-eight hours. Come back to Sickbay immediately if you have any headaches, nausea or dizziness.'

'Right.'

Deanna got off the bed, then swore under her breath as she saw the time,

'I'm going to be late for my first appointment. I haven't showered yet and my uniform is in Jean-Luc's quarters.'

'Why don't you shower here and use the Sickbay replicators to get a new uniform,' suggested Jean-Luc.

'My hairbrush and make-up are in my quarters.'

Jean-Luc thought for a moment,

'Why don't you go to your quarters and start getting ready. I'll fetch your uniform from my quarters and bring it to you.'

'All right.'

Deanna left Sickbay at full speed. Jean-Luc turned to follow her, but was stopped by Beverly, who said icily,

'After you've done that, please come back here, Captain.'

Jean-Luc nodded curtly. The discussion with Beverly was bound to be unpleasant but trying to duck it would only make it worse.

Back in his own quarters, Jean-Luc took thirty seconds to dress before gathering up Deanna's uniform and heading out again. When he reached Deanna's quarters she was just stepping out of the bathroom and he felt his breath catch at the sight of her flawless beauty. Deanna quickly slipped her underwear on and then went over to where Jean-Luc was stood rooted to the spot holding her uniform. As she lifted her clothes out of his arms, she smiled, saying,

'See something you like?'

'Yes.'

Jean-Luc returned her smile with a mock leer and she laughed even as she hurriedly dressed. Going to the mirror, she started brushing her hair, pulling it back and pinning it in place in just a couple of minutes. She opened her make-up bag but then caught a glimpse of the chronometer and with an exasperated exclamation closed it again,

'Dammit, I don't have time.'

'I don't know why you bother anyway.'

'Because I like to look my best,' said Deanna, feeling her earlier annoyance returning.

'Deanna, you always look beautiful regardless of whether or not you're wearing make-up.'

Deanna smiled softly at him, saying,

'Thank you.'

She reached up and gave him a brief kiss, then rushed out.

Jean-Luc made his way back to Sickbay, feeling tired and irritable. He considered pleading tiredness as an excuse to avoid a lecture but knew that Beverly would see through it. When he arrived, Beverly said,

'Come into my office, Jean-Luc.'

Relieved that he wasn't going to be dressed down in front of an audience, Jean-Luc followed Beverly. Once inside, Beverly said,

'Sit down. Would you like a drink?'

'Earl Grey, please,' said Jean-Luc, sitting on the sofa.

Beverly ordered his tea and handed it to him, then sat beside him. She then spent five minutes telling him what she thought about his carelessness. Jean-Luc sat quietly, knowing that he had no excuse. Beverly finished by saying,

'You know I could give you a 'ship's klutz' award, don't you?'

Jean-Luc winced at the thought of his carelessness becoming common knowledge, but said,

'I probably deserve one.'

'You do but I won't give you one this time.'

'You won't?' said Jean-Luc surprised.

'You and Deanna are learning to live together and there are bound to be hiccups.'

'Thank you. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.'

'See that you do. I don't want to find Deanna in here again because you can't put your things away. Why did she trip over your boots anyway? Wasn't she looking where she was going?'

'It was dark. She hasn't been putting the light on because it wakes me.'

'Okay…Jean-Luc, why isn't Deanna on the same shift as you?'

'I'm on beta shift for a few days. You know that I take beta shift for two weeks once every three months,' said Jean-Luc, puzzled.

'Yes, Jean-Luc, I'm fully aware of that. I have been breakfasting alone for the last few days. That isn't what I asked.'

The sarcasm in Beverly's voice jolted Jean-Luc's brain into action and he said,

'Deanna is part of the primary medical team so she's always on alpha shift.'

'It's customary, yes, but she could be on another shift occasionally, perhaps when a certain starship captain were, for example.'

'Wouldn't that be quite inconvenient for her?'

'It might be but it might be less inconvenient than sneaking around in the dark, tripping over things. Why don't you ask her?'

'All right,' said Jean-Luc still slightly confused.

Beverly gave an exasperated sigh as she realised that she'd have to spell it out for him, sometimes Jean-Luc could be very slow,

'Jean-Luc, when you signed this months duty roster did you consider the effect that it would have on you and Deanna? You need to start thinking of you and Deanna as a couple. How is your sex life, by the way?'

'Fine, thank you,' lied Jean-Luc, knowing that Beverly was right. He had signed the roster without giving it any thought at all and he and Deanna had been finding it very frustrating. She had waited up for him a couple of times and he had woken early once but the resulting sex had been perfunctory and only partially satisfying. He also missed talking to Deanna in the evenings. Before he had gone on to beta shift, they had got into a routine; after shift they would make love and then they would either do something with friends or they would eat together and talk. Often they had paperwork to do and they would sit down on the sofa together and enjoy the buzz that being near each other always brought whilst they worked. He sighed, saying,

'You're right but how can I put Deanna on the same shift as me without it being seen as unfair?'

'T107 applies, remember? This is exactly the sort of thing it was intended for.'

'It is, isn't it? I'll talk to Deanna and see what she wants to do.'

'Good. Now go and get some sleep.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

Jean-Luc smiled wryly as he left, he'd just had a reminder never to underestimate Beverly. Instead of losing her temper, she'd made him think about the cause of the problem and possible solutions. As he walked back to his quarters, he tried to decide how to make amends to Deanna. Chocolate and flowers were out, he'd heard Deanna and Beverly's views on men using them as a way to avoid caring about what they'd done wrong far too many times to fall into that trap. They were in deep space again, so he was limited to things on the ship. He racked his brain, trying to think of something thoughtful to do. He had undressed and got into bed when suddenly he knew what to do. Throwing his clothes back on, he went in search of Paul Fisher.

Deanna entered Jean-Luc's quarters warily. He'd sent her a padd message saying that there was a surprise for her on the table in his quarters and she was desperately hoping that it wasn't chocolate or flowers. Going over to the table, she saw a padd and two replicator bowls with stasis covers on. Peering inside she saw what looked like oskoid leaves. Puzzled, she picked up the padd and read,

"Every Betazoid I've ever served with has said that the oskoid leaves from the replicators don't taste quite right so I asked Paul Fisher to look at the program. These are from his first two adjustments. Please let him know whether or not it's an improvement."

Smiling tenderly, Deanna lifted the stasis lids off the bowls and sat down.

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Two

Jean-Luc suppressed a yawn as he sat down beside Beverly at the breakfast table. He was officially back on alpha shift today so had done a mixed shift the previous day. Doing half of beta shift and half of gamma shift only gave him six hours to eat and sleep, however, so he was definitely feeling a bit weary. Beverley shot him an amused look but let him eat a croissant and drink half a cup of coffee before asking,

'Got anything special planned for tonight?'

'Nothing in particular. Why?'

In fact, Jean-Luc was hoping to spend the evening with Deanna, to make up for not being around for the last few days. He had an interesting idea for some extended foreplay, which he wanted to try out. Hopefully, Deanna would enjoy it as much as he expected to.  
>Beverly smirked as Jean-Luc's expression glazed over. She waited for him to come out of his daydream and when he didn't, she said,<p>

'Penny for them.'

Jean-Luc jerked out of his erotic daydream to find Beverly grinning mischievously at him. Blushing furiously, he said,

'Sorry, I…um…I was thinking of something else.'

'Really, Jean-Luc? What?'

'Um…'

'Could it be a certain dark-haired member of my medical team by any chance? And what you might get up to tonight?'

Jean-Luc conceded defeat, even as he continued to blush,

'Perhaps.'

'So? What have you got planned for tonight?'

'Beverly, you know I never discuss my sex life with you.'

'Oh, so it's something kinky, is it?'

'None of your business,' said Jean-Luc repressively.

'Well I know Deanna likes to experiment so I'm sure she'll enjoy it. Unless it's something really weird?'

Jean-Luc glowered at Beverly but refused to rise to the bait, knowing that she was only trying to make him squirm. When he didn't reply, she continued innocently,

'Make sure you use padded handcuffs.'

Jean-Luc decided to turn the tables, saying,

'Is that what you and Paul do?'

Beverly cursed her fair skin as she felt herself blushing. In fact, she and Paul hadn't got to that stage yet but the explicit fantasies she'd been having about him fairly often involved handcuffs. Smiling wryly, she realised that she should have expected Jean-Luc to counterattack; he wouldn't be much of a starship captain if he didn't seize the initiative when he saw an opening. Regaining her composure she said,

'That's between Paul and I…and yes, I take your point, I'll stop prying into your sex life.'

'Thank you.'

They spent the rest of breakfast idly catching up with each other's news. As they were parting, Beverly said,

'You've remembered that I'm off duty from thirteen hundred hours?'

'No, I hadn't. Anything in particular planned?'

'Paul and I are spending the afternoon together in the holodeck.'

'Have fun.'

'I will. And you have fun tonight.'

With a mischievous smile, Beverly headed off to Sickbay leaving Jean-Luc smiling after her.

Beverly handed over to Selar promptly at thirteen hundred hours and hurried back to her quarters to change. When she had asked Paul what to wear he had said,

'Wear comfortable shoes.'

When she had pressed him for more information he had merely told her that hiking shoes would not be required and refused to tell her anything else. She had discussed the matter with Selar and Alyssa, wanting their advice on what to wear. Selar had said,

'Logic dictates that you will be walking somewhere.'

'Yes, but it can't be too far otherwise he wouldn't have vetoed hiking boots,' said Alyssa.

'Nor can it be rugged terrain,' agreed Selar.

'True,' said Beverly, 'and footwear's not really the problem; I've got a good pair of flat shoes that will be fine unless we walk several miles.'

'So, the problem is what to wear with them?' asked Alyssa.

'Yes,' replied Beverly.

'Surely your choice of dress will be determined by the outcome desired,' stated Selar.

'Yes…' agreed Beverly hesitantly, remembering why she hadn't asked her friends for advice before any of her other dates with Paul; they were too likely to interrogate her.

'Are you intending to have sexual intercourse during or after the date?' asked Selar calmly.

'I don't know.'

'Is that because you don't wish to or because you're not sure whether the location will provide the correct ambience?' continued Selar, relentlessly.

'Um…' said Beverly, looking desperately at Alyssa for help. Alyssa just smiled at her, waiting for her to answer Selar. Sighing, she tried to explain,

'I may decide to have sex with Paul if the date goes well.'

'How likely is the date to go that well?'

'I don't know. We've been going out for a while and he's great…I'm just not sure if I'm ready yet.'

'So would you say that there's a fifty percent probability of sexual intercourse occurring?'

'Probably not as high as that,' said Beverly, curious to see why Selar was talking about percentages, even as she cursed herself for asking a Vulcan for dating advice.

'Thirty-three percent?

'Maybe.'

'So, you simply need to select the clothing that informs Paul that there is a thirty-three percent probability of intercourse occurring.'

Beverly goggled at Selar as she tried to think of a way to explain that she didn't rate her clothes according to how likely she was to agree to sex. Well, not directly anyway although there were some outfits she wore to signal her unavailability. Looking over at Alyssa, she realised that she wasn't going to get any help there; Alyssa was giggling helplessly. As Beverly struggled to find the right words, Deanna came into Sickbay, cast a quizzical look at Alyssa and joined them, saying,

'What's so funny?'

'I am not sure,' said Selar slowly, 'I am merely attempting to assist Beverly in choosing the best outfit for her romantic encounter with Paul Fisher.'

'Oh?'

'She advised Beverly to choose the outfit that would let Paul know that he's got a thirty-three percent chance of having sex,' explained Alyssa between giggles.

Deanna smiled involuntarily but took pity on Selar, saying,

'Human courtship rituals are not that precise. Because of the large number of variables involved, it is impossible to quantify outcomes with any degree of accuracy.'

'So humans have to proceed by guesswork?'

'Pretty much, yes.'

Selar looked thoughtful but didn't ask any more questions, so Deanna seized the opportunity to say to Beverly,

'What choices do you have?'

The conversation had then proceeded along more useful lines and within a few minutes, Beverly had decided to wear a light green top with a darker green skirt. The top showed a small amount of cleavage and the skirt came to just above the knee but was flared so that walking and sitting should be comfortable.

When Beverly got to the holodeck Paul was already waiting for her. He smiled at her and said,

'You look wonderful.'

'Thank you, so do you.'

'Shall we?'

'Certainly.'

'Activate program Fisher-one-one-three.'

'Program activated, enter when ready.'

They went into the holodeck and Beverly found herself walking along a footpath through a wood. Looking around, Beverly realised that the flora were of Earth origin and she said,

'Is this based on a real place?'

'Yes, it's a replica of a park on Earth. Minus the tourists.'

'Whereabouts on Earth?'

'North Wales.'

'It's beautiful. So green and fertile.'

They walked for about half an hour, talking about places they'd visited and their favourite holodeck programs, before the trees thinned out and they found themselves in a field. In the distance the sea was visible and seagulls wheeled overhead. Paul smiled and said,

'Hungry?'

'Famished.'

'Good.'

Paul took off his backpack and opened it. He took out a picnic blanket and spread it under a tree. The rest of his backpack seemed to be full of food and Beverly said,

'Are we expecting company?'

'No, I didn't want you to be hungry and I eat a fair amount, you know.'

Beverly smiled, remembering their first lunch together and how surprised she'd been by his appetite but the fact was that he was a big man, almost as tall as Will, with a high metabolic rate and he needed the calories.  
>They sat down together and ate, leaning their backs against the tree trunk. He had included some wine, synthehol since Beverly might be called to Sickbay, and Beverly felt herself relaxing as she sipped her fake Merlot.<p>

Once she'd finished eating, she found herself becoming intensely aware of the man beside her. The hairs on her arms rose as the attraction between them sharpened. Paul took her glass away and pulled her gently towards him. They kissed and Beverly shivered as the touch of Paul's lips sent sparks through her body. Paul began to kiss her neck and eased his hands beneath her top and began to stroke her back. When he moved a hand around to the front of her body and began to caress her breasts, Beverly moaned and started to drag his shirt up so that she could touch him in return. As they started to explore each other's bodies, Beverly was stunned by how aroused his touch was making her, she felt as though her whole body was on fire.

Suddenly, fear shot through her and she pushed him away. He released her immediately and turned to look at the sea, struggling to regain his composure. Beverly ran a hand through her hair, feeling frustrated and upset. After a few seconds she said,

'I'm sorry.'

'What for?'

'For stopping you…stopping us.'

'It's all right.'

'No, it isn't. I…I was scared.'

'Scared? Why?'

'I'm scared that if I get close to you, you'll die.'

'Because your husband died?'

'Partly.'

Paul looked at Beverly, wishing that he knew more about her past. He had asked his new colleagues about her and had discovered to his amazement that she rarely dated and was generally believed to be uninterested in sex. She and Jean-Luc had apparently danced around each other for years without consummating their relationship (as far as the ship's gossips knew) but Jean-Luc was with Deanna now and Beverly was not nursing a broken heart. What had made this vibrant, passionate woman so afraid? Why did she think that he would die if they got close? There were times when he wished that he wasn't so moral; with his ability with computers he could access her records easily. Unfortunately, that would be a breach of trust so great that he knew that he wouldn't be able to look at her if he did it. Taking one of her hands in his, he said,

'Is there anything I can do?'

'No.'

They sat in silence for a moment whilst Beverly berated herself for being a coward. Eventually, she managed to say,

'I'm having counselling.'

She waited for the derision to come and was completely stunned when Paul said,

'I had counselling for five years after my wife died.'

'Oh. Did it work.'

'Yes, once I stopped fighting it.'

Beverly laughed bitterly,

'If I've got to stop fighting it, I'll be in counselling forever. I can see it now, Deanna and I grey-haired and deaf, shouting at each other across the room as she tries to help me.'

'I'm sure it won't come to that,' said Paul, smiling at the image.

'No…It's just so frustrating! I don't want to be ruled by my fear any more.'

'I'm scared too.'

'What?' said Beverly, startled.

'I'm scared of losing you too. When you were on the away team three weeks ago, I was so scared that I could barely breathe.'

'You were?'

'Yes. I know it was stupid but I spent the whole time worrying about you being hurt.'

'That's what I do too,' said Beverly, wonderingly, feeling some of the sense of being a freak slipping away.

Paul put his arm around her and pulled her into his body, saying,

'You see? We're a perfect pair.'

Beverly laughed and relaxed against his chest.

**Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Three

Jean-Luc checked the chronometer for perhaps the thirtieth time that afternoon. The Enterprise had been ordered to rendezvous with the USS Euripides so they were heading deeper into Starfleet territory with nothing to do but make sure that they didn't crash into another ship, which was the helmsman's job. Normally, he would have retreated to his Ready Room and caught up on paperwork but as soon as he sat at his desk, he found his mind drifting to Deanna and what he wanted to do tonight. In theory, a bit of harmless fantasising on a quiet afternoon wasn't a problem but as the link between he and Deanna was quite unpredictable, he didn't dare let himself become aroused. Deanna had patients to treat and having to stop because he couldn't keep his mind out of the gutter would not make her happy. Let alone the potential for embarrassment. He and Deanna were already the talk of Starfleet; what the gossips would say if she had to stop work because he was horny didn't bear thinking about. Sighing, Jean-Luc forced himself not to ask for another round of status updates. Instead, he stood up, saying,

'You have the Bridge, Number One. I think it's time for a surprise inspection.'

'Aye, Sir.'

Jean-Luc took the turbolift down to the shuttlecraft bay and started wandering. By the time his shift had ended, he had inspected all of the shuttlecraft, the transporter rooms, the cargo bays and hydroponics. To his delight, he'd found only three minor things wrong, which he'd referred to the appropriate department heads. Feeling more relaxed he headed back to his quarters.  
>Once inside, he quickly changed, got the things he needed ready and laid the table for dinner. When Deanna arrived he pulled her into his arms but only allowed himself a brief kiss. Deanna shot him a quizzical look as he pulled away, saying,<p>

'Something wrong?'

'No, but I want us to have dinner first tonight.'

Deanna eyed him thoughtfully,

'You've planned something, haven't you?'

'Yes, though if you don't fancy it…?'

'It depends what it is.'

'I'll show you after dinner.'

Deanna considered trying to make him tell her but realised that that would defeat the object as the methods she would use would mean that their after dinner activity would no longer be sex. Feeling anticipation shiver down her spine, Deanna sat at the table and let Jean-Luc bring the food over.  
>Neither of them lingered over dinner, it had been too long since they'd had an evening together. And it had been much too long since they'd been able to take their time over when making love. Once they'd finished eating, Jean-Luc took Deanna by the hand and led her into the bedroom, saying,<p>

'I hope you'll enjoy this.'

Deanna looked around curiously; there was a large towel spread out on the bed and on the bedside table there was a bottle of red wine, a bowl and some artists paintbrushes. Jean-Luc came up behind her and started kissing and nibbling her neck. After a minute, she felt his hands unfastening her uniform. She eagerly co-operated and a couple of minutes later she was standing naked before him. He gazed at her in silent appreciation, running his eyes up and down her body. Deanna basked in his admiration briefly before attacking the fastenings on his clothing. By the time he was naked, their link had formed and he could feel a wave of arousal crashing over him. Deanna took his hand and pulled him to the bed, longing to feel his skin on hers. The sight of the bottle of wine pulled Jean-Luc out of his haze and he gently took his hand from Deanna's saying,

'Lie down on the towel, ma belle.'

Deanna sat on the bed, saying,

'On my front or my back?'

'On your front would be best, I think. Otherwise this might be over very quickly.'

Deanna lay on her front on the towel, propping her chin on her hands so that she could watch what he was doing. Jean-Luc was glorious in his nakedness and she found herself struggling to control herself, wanting to drag him on to the bed and insist on instant release. The sound of wine glugging into the bowl brought her back to the moment and she watched curiously as Jean-Luc picked up the paintbrushes, testing the bristles of each of them against his hand. He hesitated between two brushes but after a few seconds he put one down and dipped the other in the bowl of wine. Picking up the bowl, he came and sat on the bed next to Deanna, saying

'Tell me if I'm using too much or too little pressure.'

Deanna nodded and Jean-Luc took the brush out and started drawing a pattern on her back. Once he had completed the pattern, he leant over and slowly used his tongue to lick the wine off. Deanna shuddered as the firm brushstrokes contrasted with the softness of his tongue, spreading heat through her body. Through their link she could tell that Jean-Luc was finding this very erotic and she found herself spiralling higher and higher as he drew more wine patterns and licked them off, travelling slowly down her back and on to her buttocks. When he reached her buttocks, Jean-Luc switched to a harder brush. He had done a lot of reading about Betazoid physiology and it had confirmed what he had suspected; Deanna's skin was stronger and less sensitive than a human's. This was why she preferred firmer touches and enjoyed being scratched and pinched. Of course, Deanna was only half-Betazoid so her physiology was unique to her, making exploring her body complicated and extremely enjoyable.  
>Swirling the brush in the wine, Jean-Luc pondered what pattern to draw on her beautiful buttocks. Pressing the brush firmly against her skin, Jean-Luc drew a spiral, going from the outside inwards. Deanna writhed helplessly as her desire increased exponentially as he drew the brush slowly across her skin. As he bent and started to lick the wine off, her arousal spiked and she climaxed, screaming loudly. Jean-Luc waited until she stopped screaming then carried on licking his way across her skin, revelling in the taste of the wine combined with Deanna's skin. Next Jean-Luc got Deanna to roll over and began to paint along her collarbones and down on to her chest. However, he only got as far as her breasts before he found himself struggling. Deanna's body was so beautiful and through the link he could feel her arousal rising again, making her groan and writhe beneath him. Putting down the bowl of wine and the brushes, Jean-Luc gave in to his body's urgings and joined her on the bed. She flipped them so that she was on top, slipping gently down on to him and a few seconds later they were spiralling upwards together. Deanna screamed his name again as she climaxed and Jean-Luc heard an echo in his mind.<br>A moment later, his climax hit and the fire rushed through them both.

The next morning, after a very thorough shower, Deanna found herself strolling through the Betazoid countryside, on the holodeck, with Beverly again. They had moved past Ronin and her grandmother's death a couple of weeks ago and had also talked about Wesley leaving to join the Traveller. They were now discussing Odan and how that had affected Beverly,

'It was all so fast. I couldn't cope with the changes.'

'It was very quick. And then the new host was a woman. How did you feel about that?'

'Ambivalent. I've never been attracted to women in general and although I did find her attractive, it wasn't the same as when he was in a male body. It just didn't feel…'

'It didn't feel…?'

'Like Odan. I know that half of him was but the other half wasn't and I could feel the difference. She wasn't the man I fell in love with…Now there's a sentence you only get to say in Starfleet!'

Beverly chuckled and Deanna smiled with her before saying,

'You couldn't cope with the ambivalence?'

'No. And honestly, I'm not sure how I would have felt about making love to her. It's not that I've never imagined making love to a woman, I just need to be very attracted to someone before I'll consider a sexual relationship.'

'Why do you think that is?'

Beverly glared at Deanna, saying, witheringly,

'Oh, come on, Deanna! We both know why. It's because the sexual attraction has to be strong enough to overwhelm my fear.'

Deanna smiled wryly, saying,

'Sorry, Beverly, but it's important that you come out and say it.'

Beverly's eyes flashed but she kept her temper under control, knowing that Deanna was right; she had admit that there was a problem before Deanna could help her find a solution.  
>Deanna thought for a moment. There didn't seem to anything else to say about Odan. The next topic that they needed to cover was Jack's death but she didn't want to start that half way through a session. Instead, she said,<p>

'So, is Paul attractive enough to overcome your fear?'

'Yes,' replied Beverly curtly, knowing that she wasn't going to like this discussion at all.

'So why haven't you slept with him?'

'Because I'm scared that he'll die if I get close to him.'

'But aren't you already close to him?'

'Not that close to him.'

'Even though you've been dating him for a month? How close do you need to get?'

'I always get closer to men once I have sex with them.'

'I do too but that doesn't mean I can't get close to people without having sex with them. Look at our relationship, after all. It's hard to see how we could get any closer.'

'True, but sexual relationships are different. I know it makes no sense but having sex seems like crossing a line somehow.'

'Why?'

'I don't know. It just does.'

'So what your saying is that dating Paul is fine but that you can't have sex with him because you're afraid he'll die if you do?'

'Yes,' admitted Beverly, weakly.

'Why would having orgasms make any difference to anything?'

'It's not just about having orgasms!'

'Isn't it? You and Paul are a couple in every other way.'

Beverly glared at Deanna as she tried to find the refutation that she knew must exist, if only she could think of it.

Jean-Luc straightened in his chair as the Euripides came into view,

'Open hailing frequencies please Mr Worf.'

'Hailing frequencies open.'

'Euripides, this is the Enterprise.'

The view of the stars was replaced by the view of the Euripides Bridge. A Captain, who Jean-Luc didn't recognise, was stood respectfully beside Admiral Nechayev. As Jean-Luc blinked in surprise, Admiral Nechayev said,

'Captain Picard, prepare to beam aboard myself and my aide.'

'Yes, Admiral,' said Jean-Luc automatically, turning to make sure that the orders were being relayed.

'Euripides out.'

Jean-Luc exchanged a stunned look with Will, then said,

'I'd better go and meet her. You have the Bridge, Will.'

'Aye, Sir.'

Jean-Luc hurried into the turbolift and gave his destination, his mind whirling as he tried to understand the reason for Admiral Nechayev's unannounced arrival. He arrived at the transporter room as she was stepping off the platform. Turning to Jean-Luc, she said,

'Your Ready Room, Captain. Now, please.'

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	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Four

Jean-Luc stood silently beside Admiral Nechayev in the turbolift, his Captain's mask firmly in place as he tried to figure out why Admiral Nechayev was here. It could be a Top Secret mission but Nechayev was now a full admiral so it would be very unusual for it to be her that brought their orders. That meant that it was probably something internal. Had someone made an official complaint about he and Deanna serving on a ship whilst bonded? No, Nechayev would make mincemeat out of anyone displaying that sort of xenophobia. Had Lwaxana asked the admiral to offer Jean-Luc a planet-based job? Lwaxana and she were close friends so it was entirely possible but that would only have necessitated a memo. Outwardly calm, Jean-Luc followed Admiral Nechayev on to the Bridge. The Bridge crew sprang to attention as Will said,

'Admiral on the deck!'

'As you were,' said Nechayev and the crew returned to their duty stations.

Jean-Luc led the admiral and her aide, a young Vulcan woman, into his Ready Room and went towards his desk. He hesitated but Nechayev waved him to the seat behind the desk, taking one of the visitor's chairs for herself. Jean-Luc reflected that that was one of Admiral Nechayev's good points; she might nail your ears to the wall but she wouldn't indulge in petty power plays whilst she did so. Jean-Luc sat and then realised that the admiral's aide was still stood, waiting to be invited to sit down, as protocol demanded. Glancing over at Nechayev, who was projecting impatience, Jean-Luc said.

'Do take a seat, Lieutenant.'

The lieutenant sat down and took out a padd, obviously intending to take notes. Jean-Luc braced himself inwardly and turned his attention to Admiral Nechayev, who said blandly,

'Congratulations on your bonding with Commander Troi, Captain.'

'Thank you, Admiral.'

The amenities apparently out of the way, Nechayev's bland expression gave way to one of fierce intensity and Jean-Luc suddenly felt like an ensign again. Taking a deep breath, Jean-Luc waited to find out what he'd done wrong.

'I've come to talk to you about some rumours that have come to my attention.'

'Rumours, Admiral?' asked Jean-Luc, desperately hoping for a clue.

'Rumours concerning friction between yourself and Commander Riker.'

'Friction between Will and I?' said Jean-Luc, careful to inject surprise into his voice. Inwardly his mind was racing as he tried to decide whether someone had launched a deliberate attack on Will or himself or whether it was just Will's less than subtle behaviour that had triggered this.

'Yes. Apparently, he has been behaving in an intolerant and impatient manner.'

Silently calling down blessings on Admiral Nechayev for her choice of wording, Jean-Luc said,

'I have noticed an eagerness and intensity in Commander Riker's manner recently. In fact, I commented on it in his latest performance review. I don't know if you saw it?'

'Remind me.'

'I recommended Will for promotion again, which won't surprise you, but I also commented that I thought that he would accept a promotion this time.'

'Go on.'

'I had noticed that he was keen to command and less inclined to seek or, indeed, need advice.'

'In other words, he's champing at the bit?'

'Yes, he wants his own command and occasionally feels a bit…fettered perhaps, by being first officer.'

'I understand. I can still remember the impatience I felt when I was waiting for my first command. Fortunately, Commander Riker won't have much longer to wait. He won't be notified officially for another month, but we're going to offer him the Eddison. It's due to be completed in three months so that will give him two months to choose his crew and familiarise himself with it's layout.'

'That's wonderful news,' said Jean-Luc sincerely, delighted that Will was getting another chance to move up the ladder.

'It does, however, mean that you will need a new first officer.'

Jean-Luc grimaced but said,

'I've been lucky to keep Will for so long, honestly. I'll start looking around. What would the Admiralty's view be if I suggested Mr Data for the role?'

'He's done his time, I can't see why there would be any objection.'

'Thank you Admiral.'

'You'll also need to start looking around for a new Security Officer too.'

'Has Mr Worf's transfer come through then?'

'Not yet, but if what I've heard is true, then you can expect it to come through very soon.'

'Thank you for the heads up. Worf and I drew up a shortlist of candidates, I'll start whittling them down.'

'Good,' said Nechayev, nodding her head, 'I have your new orders here, Captain.'

The Lieutenant handed Jean-Luc a data stick, which he took with a word of thanks. He looked at Admiral Nechayev hesitantly and she said,

'Read your new orders so we can get under way.'

'Aye, Admiral,' said Jean-Luc automatically, whilst wondering where the 'we' came in.

Inserting the data stick into his console, he quickly scanned the contents, careful to keep his face expressionless. To his relief, he discovered that the admiral was only on board until Starbase 81. At Starbase 81 they would drop the admiral off, pick up five more crew replacements and then head off on their main mission. Jean-Luc felt a surge of satisfaction as he read the details of their mission; they were to establish diplomatic relations with a newly discovered race on Anaris IV. First contact had gone smoothly, the inhabitants had a world government and warp drive and the United Federation of Planets were eager to set up an embassy. Their job was to find a suitable location and, having obtained permission, prepare the site for the diplomats.  
>Standing, he said,<p>

'If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll give Commander Riker his orders.'

Nechayev nodded but remained seated. Jean-Luc hurried out on to the Bridge,

'Commander Riker, lay in a course for Starbase 81, warp factor four.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'And have quarters for the admiral and her aide prepared. They'll be staying with us until we get to Starbase 81.'

'Right away, Captain.'

He returned to his Ready Room and said,

'Commander Riker is having quarters prepared for you. Do you have any other orders for me, Admiral?'

'No, Captain. Lieutenant T'lim, log me as off duty please.'

'Yes, Admiral.'

'And take the rest of the day off yourself.'

'Yes, Admiral.'

'Dismissed, Lieutenant.'

Lieutenant T'lim left the Ready Room and Jean-Luc turned his attention back to Admiral Nechayev, saying,

'Was there anything else, Admiral.'

'Yes. Why don't you take the rest of the day off, Captain? I'm sure you've got plenty of leave saved up.'

Jean-Luc blinked in surprise but automatically said,

'Yes, Admiral.'

Admiral Nechayev may have phrased it as a question but Jean-Luc had no doubt that it was an order, but why would she order him to take time off? Shrugging inwardly, he tapped his comm badge,

'Picard to Riker.'

'Riker here, Captain.'

'I'm taking the rest of the day off. Log me as off duty, please.'

'Yes, Sir.'

Closing the channel he turned to Admiral Nechayev and waited to be told what was going on. To his amazement, she reached up to her collar and removed her rank insignia, saying as she did so,

'Take your pips off.'

Baffled, Jean-Luc slowly reached up and removed his pips, putting them on his desk.

'Good. Now we can talk as equals. Call me Alynna.'

'Yes, Admi…Alynna.'

Suddenly, the fierce glare was back,

'So, Jean-Luc, what the bloody hell is going on?'

'Um…'

'Jean-Luc, when I came on board I wasn't even sure that I was going to find Will Riker here. Most of the rumours going round have you two physically damaging each other at the very least, and the more extreme ones have one of you murdered or abandoned on a remote outstation.'

'What? That's ridiculous! Will and I are both professionals. We would never have let things get that bad. I admit, I've been tempted to give him the worst dressing down of his career recently, but fighting? That's insane!'

'So what has been going on? Six months ago I was reorganising my schedule to make sure that I could be on Betazed for Deanna's marriage to Worf, then suddenly the wedding was off and Lwaxana was in my office, spitting fire and asking for Will Riker's head on a pole. And now, you and Deanna are mind linked and everyone is talking about you and Will Riker.'

Jean-Luc hesitated, torn by his loyalty towards Will and Nechayev said,

'Jean-Luc, I can't help you if you don't tell me the truth.'

Some of Jean-Luc's surprise must have shown on his face because Nechayev smiled wryly and continued,

'I'm going to help you for two reasons. Firstly, because you are the best captain in the fleet, even if you do verge on insubordination from time to time. And secondly, because I promised Lwaxana that I would do my best to make sure that there were no adverse repercussions from your bonding to Deanna.'

Jean-Luc nodded, knowing that Lwaxana and she were like sisters, and said,

'I don't know everything that's gone on. Like you, I was taken completely by surprise when Deanna and Worf's engagement ended. Deanna has never told me what happened but I gather that Will was involved somehow.'

'According to Lwaxana, the break-up was all his fault.'

'Hmm. Certainly, all the friction was between Will and Deanna and Will and Worf, Deanna and Worf behaved in a completely professional manner towards each other.'

'And then?'

'A few weeks ago, Deanna and I ended up on shore leave on Ydea at the same time. We bumped into each other and well, one thing led to another, and Deanna suggested a Friendly Fire Agreement.'

'Which you presumably leapt at?'

Jean-Luc flinched slightly at Admiral Nechayev's slightly cynical wording but had to admit that he hadn't hesitated, not even briefly. Flushing slightly, he said,

'Yes and it was great. We both had a good time and came back from leave relaxed and happy.'

'But, it didn't stay a Friendly Fire Agreement.'

'It was supposed to but things didn't work out that way. First, Beverly figured out what was going on. She was fine about it, but then Will found out and he wasn't.'

'What did he do?'

'Behaved like a bear with a sore head for a few days, then had a big row with Deanna and has been behaving like a child ever since.'

'But why? Why didn't he just ask Deanna to go out with him?'

'I don't know.'

'And now you and Deanna are mind linked.'

'Yes. A couple of weeks after we came back, Deanna started noticing that our minds were linking spontaneously. At first, she thought that she was being sloppy with her shields and reaching out to me but then it became clear that it wasn't that, so Deanna got in touch with her mother who brought Telna with her to Starbase ninety-three.'

'And she told you that it was one of the Betazoid mind links.'

'Yes.'

'So, basically, Riker's being a horses arse.'

'Yes,' agreed Jean-Luc reluctantly, 'but it's not entirely his fault.'

He hesitantly explained about the Imzadi bond and saw reluctant sympathy dawn in Nechayev's eyes though she merely said,

'Hmph…How did Worf take it?'

'Stoically and has behaved with complete professionalism ever since.'

'Good,' Alynna paused for a moment then continued, 'Two months is pretty short notice to get a crew together. I'll suggest that we notify Riker in a few days. Getting him off the Enterprise seems the best thing to do.'

'Yes.'

Alynna stood and picked her insignia up and put them in her pocket, saying,

'I understand that Lieutenant Fisher is proposing major changes to the Sickbay computer systems. I'd be interested in seeing them.'

'Of course. He completed the holodeck simulations a few days ago and is now testing it in Sickbay, using just one of the bio beds.'

They walked across the Bridge and Will caught his eye, wanting to know if he was about to be briefed. Jean-Luc gave the merest shake of his head, knowing that Will would know that that meant that he couldn't be briefed at the moment. He realised with a pang, that he was going to miss that instant, non-verbal communication when Will was gone. He and Data had it to a lesser extent but it was not the same. He was going to miss Will in other ways too. Over the years, he had turned from a brash unknown into a close friend and even though Will had not been behaving like a friend recently, Jean-Luc was still going to miss him.  
>He followed Nechayev into the turbolift, continuing his explanation,<p>

'At the moment, the test bio bed has both systems running at the same time. If the new system is a success, Lieutenant Fisher intends to upgrade the entire Sickbay system.'

'Won't the Enterprise need to be in dry dock for that?'

'No, he and Commander Data are confident that it can be done without affecting operations.'

'Impressive.'

They arrived in Sickbay and Nechayev quickly forestalled an ensign's attempt to leap off a bio bed to come to attention, saying,

'As you were, it's not necessary to come to attention when you're injured.'

Beverly looked up from where she was treating the ensign and nodded coldly,

'Admiral, Captain. Are you in need of medical assistance?'

'No thank you, Doctor. Admiral Nechayev would like to see the new system,' said Jean-Luc, shooting Beverly a reproving look; her antipathy towards Admiral Nechayev was well known but overt rudeness was not allowable. Beverly shot a glare at Jean-Luc but allowed her manner to thaw slightly, saying,

'It's set up on bio bed three. I'll just be a minute finishing here and then I can demonstrate it.'

They went over to bio bed three, which looked completely normal except for having a small box attached to the side of the readout panel. A few seconds later Beverly came over and said,

'If the upgrade proves to be reliable, the new system will be twenty percent faster at both finding and recording patient records.'

'Really? Does it work?'

'Yes. In fact Admiral, would you mind being a guinea pig? It would be very interesting to see how quickly it retrieves your records.'

'What do I have to do?'

'Just lie on the bio bed, please.'

Nechayev shrugged and climbed on to the bio bed. Beverly said,

'Computer, calibrate bio bed three for Admiral Alynna Nechayev.'

There was a brief pause then the readout panel changed. Immediately, two alarms began to sound and several of the readouts began to fluctuate.

'It seems to need adjustment,' said Nechayev, dryly.

'I don't think so,' said Beverly grimly, swiftly tapping buttons on the diagnostic controls, 'Have you visited Tobull VIII recently?'

'Yes, I was there two weeks ago.'

'You've got Tobull's Disease.'

'I can't have, I was immunised.'

'Unfortunately, the immunisation didn't work,' said Beverly bleakly.

She tapped her comm badge, saying,

'Crusher to Selar.'

'Selar here.'

'Please report to Sickbay immediately.'

'Yes.'

Beverly turned back to the admiral, saying,

'We'll begin treatment immediately. Nurse Ogawa will help you undress.'

'Is it really necessary to start treatment now, Doctor? I'd rather wait until we reach Starbase eighty-one.'

'If we start now you have approximately an eighty percent chance of survival, for every hour we delay, that drops by five percent. So, yes, it is necessary to start now.'

Nechayev subsided, paling as the significance of Beverly's words reached her. Beverly tapped her comm badge again,

'Crusher to Data.'

'Data here, Doctor.'

'Data, which part of the ship is furthest from Sickbay. It needs to be pressurised.'

There was a momentary pause then Data replied,

'The secondary shuttle bay.'

'Thank you, Data. Crusher out.'

Taking a deep breath, Beverly tapped her comm badge again,

'Crusher to Troi.'

'Troi here.'

'Please report to the secondary shuttle bay immediately.'

'What? Beverly, I'm in the middle of a counselling session.'

'I know. Go now. The Captain will explain shortly.'

'Acknowledged,' said Deanna, her confusion clear even over the comm system.

Selar arrived and Beverly said,

'Admiral Nechayev has Tobull's Disease. Prepare the equipment.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

Selar disappeared into the medical storeroom and Beverly tapped her comm badge again,

'All hands, all hands, this is Doctor Crusher. All telepaths are to institute maximum shields immediately.'

Beverly closed the channel and turned to Jean-Luc saying,

'I need to start the treatment. Go and check that Deanna is in the secondary shuttle bay.'

'All right, but why does Deanna need to be in the secondary shuttle bay?'

'Because the only way to treat Tobull's Disease is to activate the body's pain receptors, continuously, for a minimum of forty-eight hours.'

The colour drained from Jean-Luc's face as he realised what that meant. Without a word, he turned and ran towards the nearest turbolift.

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Five

Beverly walked over to the bio bed and gazed compassionately at Admiral Nechayev, saying quietly,

'I don't know if you heard what I said to the Captain but the treatment requires continuous activation of the pain receptors.'

'I heard,' said Nechayev, 'How is it done?'

'Using electrical stimulation via a specially calibrated wand, which is moved over the body in a prescribed pattern.'

Nechayev paled and Beverly had to draw on all of her professional detachment in order to be able to continue,

'Unfortunately the treatment works by killing the pathogens by over-stimulation so painkillers cannot be used.'

Alynna Nechayev swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment, then said,

'Proceed, Doctor.'

Beverly nodded and said,

'Computer, activate sound and privacy screen around bio bed three.'

Beverly picked up the data tablet and checked the activation pattern. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the wand. She was about to start when Nechayev said,

'Wait.'

'Yes?'

'Can Vulcan's catch Tobull's Disease?'

'No, only people with iron-based blood can catch it. Why?'

'My aide, T'lim, was with me on Tobull VIII.'

'Anyone else?'

'The rest of the party were diplomats who have lived there for years.'

'Good.'

Beverly made eye contact with Nechayev and she nodded. Forcing aside her distaste for what she was about to do, Beverly touched the wand to Nechayev's left thumb.

Jean-Luc paced impatiently as the turbolift made it's way from Sickbay to the secondary shuttle bay. Hoping that Deanna was already there he said,

'Computer, what is the location of Counsellor Troi?'

'Counsellor Troi is in turbolift three proceeding towards the secondary shuttle bay.'

'Computer, disallow stops to turbolift three until after Counsellor Troi has disembarked.'

'Acknowledged.'

Jean-Luc considered the layout of the Engineering hull, the lift would leave Deanna over two hundred metres from the shuttle bay. Hopefully she would hurry. Knowing that she would be annoyed with him, but unable to stop himself, Jean-Luc tapped his comm badge,

'Picard to Troi.'

'Troi here, Captain.'

'Please make all reasonable haste, Counsellor.'

'Yes, Captain.'

Deanna had definitely sounded annoyed as well as puzzled but Jean-Luc knew that she would obey him (even whilst preparing some scathing remarks to use if she thought that he was being over-protective).  
>His turbolift halted and Jean-Luc set off towards the shuttle bay. He considered sprinting but there were too many labs and storerooms down here for that to be safe so he kept himself to a fast walk. When he reached the shuttle bay Deanna was already there, pacing up and down. As he entered, she turned towards him, saying,<p>

'Captain, why did Doctor Crusher send me down here?'

He could tell that she was annoyed but her voice was calm and her expression professional. Taking a deep breath, he said,

'Admiral Nechayev's got Tobull's Disease. The treatment's extremely painful so Beverley wants you as far away from Sickbay as possible.'

'I've been in Sickbay before when people are having painful treatments, why is this any different?'

'The only treatment for Tobull's Disease is to have the pain receptors continuously stimulated for at least forty-eight hours.'

Deanna paled as she realised what that meant,

'That poor woman. That's terrible!'

'Yes, but it's her only chance of survival.'

Deanna nodded, saying,

'So I'm here because it's the furthest point from Sickbay?'

'Yes.'

'All right, but what happens next? What about my patients?'

'You'll have to see them down here. I'll get someone to bring down a desk and chairs.'

Deanna looked around the cold, echoing shuttle bay and said,

'Could I use one of the shuttlecraft instead? It would be less intimidating and it would also be private.'

'That's a good idea. Which one do you want?'

Deanna looked around at the mixture of cargo shuttles, shuttlepods and standard shuttles, then said,

'I'll use the Herschel unless it's needed for something else.'

The Herschel was one of the new multi-purpose shuttles assigned to the Enterprise-E and was equipped for missions involving up to four crewmembers. As well as the flight deck, it had a small aft cabin with bunks, a head and a replicator so Deanna would be able spend the night in it too, if necessary.

'I'll check,' said Jean-Luc, tapping his comm badge, 'Picard to Data.'

'Data here, Captain.'

'Is the Herschel needed for any flights today?'

'No, Captain.'

'Good, please assign the Herschel to Counsellor Troi for the next forty-eight hours.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Picard out.'

Jean-Luc and Deanna walked to the Herschel and Deanna opened the hatch. Inside it was clean and tidy and Deanna turned on the auxiliary console, saying,

'I should be able to access my patients notes from here.'

'Good. If you need anything just ask.'

'Thank you, Captain.'

Jean-Luc nodded and said,

'I'll see you later.'

Deanna smiled and Jean-Luc started towards the exit but stopped as he heard Deanna gasp. Turning back he hurried over to her but she stopped him, saying,

'It's all right. I just need to reinforce my shields. I'll meditate until my next patient arrives.'

Jean-Luc hesitated but then nodded reluctantly, knowing that he was only getting in the way; Deanna found it much easier to meditate when she was on her own. Sighing, Jean-Luc went back to his cabin and settled down with a book, deliberately calming his mind so that Deanna would not pick up any stressful emotions from him.

Beverly handed over the wand and padd to Selar with a silent nod. They had decided to spell each other, two hours on, two hours off for the next few hours. At least for as long as Selar could bear it, that was. Beverly knew that Selar would never admit to having a problem but for a touch telepath, giving this treatment was extremely difficult, as she would feel the pain that she was causing. Selar was supposedly at the lower end of telepathic ability for Vulcans but Beverly had suspected for years that the rating given in her file was incorrect. Given that Selar had rejected the husband chosen for her by her parents and had refused to return to Vulcan to meet another prospective husband, Beverly had her suspicions about why Selar might have deliberately achieved a rating too low to allow her to train as a healer on Vulcan. How she had managed to fool the person testing her was an interesting question but one that Beverly had no intention of asking. Since she herself routinely made sure not to score too highly on Starfleet's intelligence tests, to avoid being permanently assigned to a research post, Beverly was certainly not going to ask Selar awkward questions. She was, however, going to make sure that Selar did not exceed her limits. It was now late afternoon and Dean was not due in for a few more hours, however, Beverly wouldn't hesitate to call him in early if necessary.  
>Glancing round Sickbay, Beverly checked that everything was in order before going in to her office. She ordered herself a coffee from the replicator and sat down heavily on the sofa. Sipping her drink, she tried to clear her mind of what she had just been doing but found it impossible. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she curled up into a tight ball, closed her eyes and made herself think of happy memories until the dark space in her mind went away.<p>

Jean-Luc woke with a start, knocking his book to the floor. He'd had lunch and had then decided to read for a few minutes before going to the gym but had obviously fallen asleep. Picking his book up, he heard his door chime and realised that that had been what had woken him.

'Enter.'

The door opened to admit a very nervous Reg Barclay. Surprised, Jean-Luc said,

'Mr Barclay, what can I do for you?'

Reg swallowed nervously, knowing that he'd broken one of the unwritten rules of Starfleet; junior officers did not go to senior officers quarters unless they were invited. Plucking up his courage he said,

'I…I w…wanted to t…talk to you about C…Counsellor Troi.'

'What about Counsellor Troi?' asked Jean-Luc, warily.

'I…Is she all r…right?'

Jean-Luc relaxed as he realised that Reg was just perturbed by the change in routine,

'She's fine. Doctor Crusher wanted her as far away from Sickbay as possible because of a treatment that she's carrying out.'

'I...I know, Sir. I…I heard that Admiral N...Nechayev's got T...Tobull's Disease so I l…looked it up.'

'Then you know why Counsellor Troi's in the secondary shuttle bay.'

'Y…yes, S…Sir.'

'So why are you here?'

'B…because I've j…just had a c…counselling session and w…well, C…Counsellor Troi, sh…she d…didn't seem all r…right.'

'Didn't seem all right? In what way?' said Jean-Luc sharply.

'I…I th…thought that sh…she w…was in p…pain.'

'Did you ask her if she was hurt?'

'Yes, Sir,' said Reg, indignantly, 'She t…told me that she w…was fine but…'

'But you didn't think so?'

'N…no, Sir.'

'Well thank you for letting me know, Reg. I'll check and make sure that she's feeling all right.'

Jean-Luc ushered Reg to the door and then sat on the sofa and thought about what Reg had said. On the one hand, Reg was a notorious worrier but on the other hand, Beverly had wanted Deanna as far away from Sickbay as possible. Jean-Luc lifted his hand to his comm badge, then stopped realising that he had an easier, more accurate way to check. Clearing his mind, he reached out towards her. Pain washed over his body and he gritted his teeth as he tried to pull his mind away from Deanna's. After a couple of minutes he realised that he couldn't so he got to his feet and began to make his way to the secondary shuttle bay, desperately trying to keep the pain at bay.

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Six

Jean-Luc kept his face impassive as he walked into the secondary shuttle bay, despite his pain. He had used the turbolift journey to do some mental exercises to control the pain, which had helped a little. Hurrying across to the Herschel, he knocked on the doorframe before going in.  
>Inside he found a worried ensign standing over Deanna, saying hesitantly,<p>

'Are you all right? Counsellor?'

Deanna was sat bolt upright in her chair. She was staring straight ahead with her hands clasped into fists. The ensign came to attention as he came in and Jean-Luc saw that it was a young Vulcan woman, wearing engineering gold.

'At ease. What happened?'

'I don't know, Sir. We were discussing ways to improve my performance when Counsellor Troi gasped, then became unresponsive. I have been unable to determine the reason for this.'

Even through his pain and his concern for Deanna, Jean-Luc could hear the self-flagellation in the young Vulcan's voice. Making eye contact with her, Jean-Luc said,

'You did not cause this nor would an engineer be expected to know how to treat a half-Betazoid.'

The ensign looked slightly relieved but said,

'A Starfleet officer should have the knowledge to deal with any contingency.'

Jean-Luc bit back a curse as he realised that she was quoting one of his least favourite admirals. Teeth gritted, he said,

'It is impossible for anyone to know everything.'

'But Admiral Decha'ka said that we need to learn everything,' said the woman nervously.

'He is wrong. A good Starfleet officer knows who to go for information. Starfleet has specialists specifically because it is impossible for anyone to know everything. For now, you should concentrate on your assignments and your duty shifts. If you have any spare time after eating and sleeping, you should spend it learning a hobby or socialising with your crewmates.'

The ensign looked slightly doubtful but said,

'Yes, Sir. Do you want me to stay to help, Sir?'

'No, thank you, Ensign…?'

'Ensign T'yan, Sir.'

Jean-Luc nodded,

'Dismissed.'

Jean-Luc turned his attention to Deanna. She was still staring straight ahead with her fists clenched in her lap. He knelt beside her chair and took one of her hands in his. The instant that their hands touched the feeling of pain intensified. Instead of trying to push the pain away, Jean-Luc deliberately strengthened their bond, accepting the pain, hoping that this would help Deanna. After a few seconds he felt a sensation of surprise and knew that she had realised that he was there. Through the bond he felt Deanna pushing the pain away, until it became fainter and more manageable. Her hands relaxed and she looked down at him, saying,

'Jean-Luc, what are you doing here?'

'Reg came to see me because he was worried about you so I came to see if you were all right. You clearly aren't. What can I do to help?'

'I don't know,' said Deanna, feeling helpless.

'What happened? Did you drop your shields?'

'I lowered them slightly so that I could feel my patients emotions and then…'

'Then you started feeling Admiral Nechayev's pain.'

'Yes.'

'And you still are.'

'A small amount of it.'

'Not that small an amount.'

'No, but it's manageable.'

'Is it?' asked Jean-Luc doubtfully.

He knew that Deanna was strong but he was already finding the pain difficult to cope with and he'd only been feeling it for a few minutes.

'For now,' said Deanna wearily.

Jean-Luc looked at Deanna worriedly, noticing that she had started to clench her fists again.

'Does our link being in place help?'

Deanna thought for a while, then said,

'Yes. At least I'm not alone with the pain now.'

'Would more physical contact help?'

'More physical contact? You mean sex?'

'No, although, would the distraction help? I was thinking of a hug in fact.'

'The hug might help. The problem with sex is…'

'Yes?'

'The pain.'

'How do you mean?'

'If we make love, you'll feel exactly what I'm feeling and well, pain really doesn't do it for you, does it?'

'No,' agreed Jean-Luc.

As a young man he'd experimented but had very quickly discovered that pain was a total turn off for him and now, after his experiences at the hands of the Cardassians and the Borg, he could imagine nothing more repulsive. Deanna was right; he was extremely unlikely to be able to muster any enthusiasm for sex whilst in this much pain. Smiling ruefully, he said,

'A hug it is, then.'

He stood and gently pulled Deanna into his arms. She held him tightly and buried her head in his chest. Their link deepened even more and Jean-Luc realised what Deanna had meant as the pain he was feeling increased. Deanna was shaking and when he looked down at her, he realised that she was crying. Jean-Luc stroked her hair and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. After a few minutes she managed to stop crying but Jean-Luc knew that the pain had not decreased. He looked at her thoughtfully as she mopped her face. Coming to a decision, he said,

'This is totally unacceptable. Is there any way to reinforce your shields enough so that you can completely block out Admiral Nechayev's pain?'

'No.'

'Can Beverly do anything?'

'She might be able to sedate me but she would have to give me a very large dose and I doubt that she'd be willing to keep me sedated for forty-eight hours.'

Jean-Luc nodded,

'So do I. Is there no other way to stop you from feeling Admiral Nechayev's pain?'

'Not here. If I were on a planet I would just go further away but I can't get any further away on the Enterprise.'

Jean-Luc smiled as he realised what they needed to do,

'No, but we can take you off the Enterprise?'

'How? We're miles away from the nearest outpost.'

'But we're only going at warp four, which means that a warp-capable shuttle can keep up.'

Jean-Luc tapped his comm badge,

'Picard to Riker.'

'Riker here, Sir.'

'Will, Deanna can't block Admiral Nechayev's pain whilst on the ship so I'm going to launch the Herschel so that she can get further away.'

'Understood Captain. Do you want a pilot?'

'No, Deanna and I are both qualified to fly the Herschel. We'll stay out until Beverly gives us the all clear so you're in command of the Enterprise until then.'

'Aye, aye, Captain.'

'Can you spare Data for a few minutes?'

'Yes.'

'Would you ask him to come down to the secondary shuttle bay, please.'

'He's on his way.'

'Thanks, Will.'

'You're welcome, Captain. Tell Deanna that I'm sorry she's in pain.'

Will's voice was rather forced but Jean-Luc accepted it as the olive branch it was and said,

'I will. Take care of my ship, Number One.'

'Aye, Sir.'

Jean-Luc signed off and turned to Deanna,

'I'm going to get Data to get some things from my quarters, do you want him to get any of your things?'

'Yes, I'll make a list.'

Beverly reluctantly walked over to bio bed three to take over from Selar. As she entered the privacy shield, Selar looked up and Beverly was horrified to see that she was shaking. Getting closer, she saw that Selar's skin was a pale greenish-grey and she was blinking rapidly. Without hesitation, Beverly said,

'You're done. Call Dean and tell him to be in Sickbay in an hour. Once you've briefed him, get some food and some rest. Dean and I will complete the treatment.'

'That will not be necessary. I will meditate until it is my turn to treat Admiral Nechayev again.'

As she spoke, Selar continued to move the wand and Beverly watched her face contort with pain. Beverly stepped forward and took the wand from her, saying,

'That was a direct order, Doctor Selar.'

Selar looked at Beverly and opened her mouth to argue but Beverly glared at her until she said,

'Yes, Doctor.'

Selar walked out through the privacy shield and Beverly turned her attention to the vile task in front of her.

As the Herschel dropped away from the Enterprise, Deanna felt the pain immediately begin to lessen. Within a few seconds, she was able to completely block the pain and after a couple of minutes it was gone. Deanna took a deep breath and felt her muscles relaxing. Beside her, Jean-Luc relaxed too and she suddenly became deeply aware of his presence. Their minds were still linked and she felt his emotions shift as his attention moved from the shuttlecraft to her. She inhaled deeply and the smell of his skin triggered a flood of arousal. She felt his answering surge of arousal and reached for him. Jean-Luc mustered the last shred of his self-control and said,

'Computer, maintain five thousand metre separation from the Enterprise.'

'Acknowledged.'

Deanna moaned as Jean-Luc pinned her against the wall and kissed her. He started nibbling under her chin whilst pinching her nipples through her clothes and Deanna writhed helplessly. She slid her hands down his back and cupped his buttocks, pulling him closer. They kissed and their link deepened even more until their emotions merged and Deanna couldn't tell where her arousal ended and Jean-Luc's began. Jean-Luc pulled Deanna through the door into the cabin and towards the bunk beds, then stopped in dismay. Space was at a premium so the bunks were stacked two on each wall. The designers had clearly never expected anyone to want to make love on one (which Jean-Luc considered quite naïve) and there was a distinct lack of headroom. Jean-Luc looked desperately around the small cabin and with a triumphant smile, jerked the covers off one of the bunks and carried them over to the small table. He padded the table's hard surface with the bedding then rapidly stripped. He turned back to Deanna and found her naked and shaking with arousal. He helped her to sit on the table and proceeded to use his hands and mouth to drive her mad with arousal. Her climaxes soared through them both and they spiralled upwards together until Jean-Luc could bear it no longer and joined their bodies. The last climax was the most intense Deanna that could ever remember.

A few minutes later, Jean-Luc came back to reality. He looked around at the scattered clothes and smiled ruefully at Deanna, saying,

'Well, that's one fantasy ticked off.'

Deanna laughed and kissed him.

**Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Seven

Dean Rivers hurried towards Sickbay, wondering why he'd been called in early. Doctor Selar had been terse and uninformative when she had contacted him, merely saying that he was needed to help treat a patient. Dean shrugged inwardly, being in Starfleet had taught him not to try to double guess his orders and medical school had taught him that medical emergencies, by their very nature, were totally unpredictable.  
>Going through the entrance to Sickbay, he immediately noticed the privacy screen around bio bed three and the subdued atmosphere. Doctor Selar was not in main Sickbay so he went to her office. She had her back to him but Dean knew that with her superior Vulcan hearing she would have heard him so simply said,<p>

'Reporting for duty, Doctor.'

When Selar turned around, Dean was shocked by her pallor; she was the palest that he'd ever seen a Vulcan. Before he could speak, she said,

'Admiral Nechayev has Tobull's Disease. Doctor Crusher requires your assistance with the admiral's treatment.'

'Yes, Doctor,' said Dean automatically, wracking his brains for the correct treatment for Tobull's Disease. Just as he was about to give up and ask Doctor Selar, the relevant paragraph from his medical textbook sprang into his mind and he stared at Selar in mute disbelief, swallowing hard. Forcing himself to maintain a professional demeanour, he said,

'When did treatment begin?'

'Seven hours and five minutes ago.'

'Doctor Crusher's been treating her for over seven hours?'

'No. Doctor Crusher and I have been alternating two-hour treatment periods. However, Doctor Crusher has ordered me to discontinue. You are to take over.'

'Yes, Doctor,' said Dean automatically, his conscious mind recoiling from what he was about to do. However, even whilst he shuddered, his clinical training kicked in and he looked more closely at Selar; not only was her skin colour bad, she was shaking and struggling for control. Frowning, he said,

'You need medical attention.'

'My condition is satisfactory.'

'You're extremely pale and you're shaking. That is not satisfactory.'

'I merely require an opportunity to meditate.'

Selar's voice was ragged and Dean realised that she was on the verge of tears. Deeply concerned he said,

'You may be suffering from shock. Please come and lie down and let me examine you.'

'Your concern is unnecessary, Doctor. I'm fine.'

Selar's voice cracked on the last word and she turned away from Dean as her face burned with embarrassment at her loss of control. Pretending not to have noticed, Dean walked quietly out of her office and called Alyssa Ogawa over, saying,

'I think Doctor Selar is in shock. Please prepare bio bed one for her.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

Alyssa went over to bio bed one and Dean went back into Doctor Selar's office. She had her back to the door and Dean could tell that she was struggling to regain her self-control. Doing his best to sound calm and authoritative, Dean said,

'You are unwell. Bio bed one has been prepared for you.'

Selar nodded and keeping her eyes averted followed him out of her office and lay on the bio bed quietly. Dean's examination confirmed his suspicions; Selar was in shock. Having checked Selar's records for any underlying health conditions or allergies, Dean said,

'Doctor you are in shock. Nurse, please start the standard treatment.'

'Yes, Doctor,' said Alyssa, activating the warming function on the bio bed before going to the replicator and ordering a warmed mix of electrolytes and vitamins for Selar. Vulcans and humans reacted in similar ways to shock but for Vulcans salty, vitamin rich drinks were more helpful than sweet drinks. Alyssa raised the head of the bed so that Selar could drink and then fetched some thermal blankets from the store cupboards and wrapped them around her. Selar passively sat and sipped her drink and Dean considered her anxiously. Doctors always made terrible patients, everyone knew that. They argued about diagnoses and treatment plans and frequently tried to discharge themselves whilst still ill. And Vulcan doctors, despite their commitment to logic, were often the worst, believing that they were capable of objectively assessing and treating their own conditions. Yet Doctor Selar was being the perfect patient. Dean made a note to check her in an hour and then realised, with relief, that Doctor Crusher would be the one checking her. Without hesitation, he made a brief note about Selar's passivity in her patient notes and arranged for a computerised reminder to be sent to Doctor Crusher in an hour. That done, he called up the treatment regime for Tobull's disease on his padd to make sure that he would know what had to be done.

Jean-Luc smiled across at Deanna as he put their food on the table, saying,

'T'lega salad with brown rice and tarte au citron.'

'Thank you. I see you decided against the wine.'

'The only choices were Chardonnay or Merlot, neither of which are suitable for drinking with T'lega salad,' said Jean-Luc stiffly.

'So what should you drink with T'lega salad?' asked Deanna curiously.

Jean-Luc looked at her suspiciously but quickly realised that she wasn't mocking him, she was genuinely interested. Relaxing, he said,

'Beer, preferably a traditional ale. T'lega salad needs something robust than wine to balance it.'

'Doesn't the replicator have any beer?'

'No, it's programming is very limited.'

'Why? I know that there's a limited amount of energy available to the replicator but why is it's programming limited too?'

'I don't know. I'll ask Data to look into it.'

They ate hungrily, chatting idly about nothing in particular. After they'd eaten, Jean-Luc replicated them drinks and Deanna went over to the starboard wall, saying,

'I checked the manual earlier and we should be able to reconfigure the bunks on this wall to make a sofa.'

She found the control panel and tapped the relevant selection. The top bunk swivelled until it was flat against the wall, forming the back of a sofa, with the bottom bunk becoming the seat.

'Excellent,' said Jean-Luc.

They sat down and Jean-Luc said,

'What do you want to do about seeing patients tomorrow? Shall I ask Will to send them out to us or do you want to reschedule?'

'Rescheduling would be a nuisance but isn't it a waste of the Enterprise's resources to have my patients shuttled out to me?'

'Not if it's combined with piloting classes.'

'Piloting classes?'

'We're so close to the Enterprise that matching our speed without overshooting will be a challenge. I'm sure the latest batch of ensigns will enjoy the opportunity the improve their skills.'

Deanna smiled at the dry humour in Jean-Luc's voice, saying,

'Then, yes, I'd like to see as many of my originally scheduled patients as possible.'

'I'll get hold of Will and arrange it.'

Jean-Luc got up to go into the flight deck and Deanna stopped him, her face alight with amusement,

'Aren't you going to get dressed first?'

Jean-Luc blushed even as he marvelled how comfortable they were with each other; he hadn't even noticed that they were naked until she said.  
>Having dressed, Jean-Luc went into the flight deck and made the arrangements for Deanna's patients to be brought to her. He also arranged for all of his outstanding paperwork to be flown over. When he rejoined Deanna, she was curled up asleep on the sofa. Smiling, Jean-Luc covered her with a blanket and then sat at the table and read.<p>

Beverley handed over to Dean and exited the privacy screen as quickly as possible keeping her professional mask firmly in place. Knowing that she was saving Alynna Nechayev's life was the only thing that enabled her to keep her self-control. Once in her office, she let the mask drop, throwing herself onto the sofa and curling up into a ball. Fifteen minutes later the computer in her office chimed politely and she forced herself to her feet. Reading Dean's entry she realised that she was even more upset than she'd thought; she hadn't even noticed that Selar was on bio bed one. Going over to bio bed one, she checked Selar's vital signs and was relieved to see that they had improved. Selar was no longer shaking and her body temperature was back to normal. Looking up, she found Selar waiting impatiently and said,

'Your physical condition is satisfactory. How is your mental condition?'

With a human Beverley would have asked how they were feeling but Vulcans were socially conditioned to never admit to feeling anything so she was forced to use a more clinical term. Selar hesitated then said,

'Improved. Meditation will restore optimum performance.'

Beverley raised her eyebrows at the overly clinical response but didn't comment, knowing how hard it was for Selar to admit to anything less than perfect emotional control. Instead, she said,

'Good. I'll see you at the start of alpha shift.'

'Yes.'

Selar got off the bio bed and left at speed, obviously concerned that Beverley might ask more prying questions. Beverley smiled wryly at Selar's departing back and made a mental note to check her again in the morning.  
>Going back into her office, she replicated herself some chocolate brownies and ice cream and immersed herself in a medical journal, determined to force all thoughts of Admiral Nechayev's treatment out of her mind until it was time to take over from Dean.<p>

Dean Rivers handed the wand and padd over to Doctor Crusher with a nod and walked calmly out of sickbay and made his way to his quarters. Inside, he sat at his desk and stared vacantly at the wall, Nechayev's face contorting in agony as he used the wand replaying in his mind over and over again.

Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Eight

Beverly looked wearily at her chronometer, trying to force her tired mind to work out how long it had been since they had started treating Admiral Nechayev. Eventually she decided that it had been just over twenty-seven hours. It was too soon for the pathogens to have been destroyed but Beverly took some blood for analysis anyway, wanting to check the admiral's liver and kidney function. Then, feeling sick to the very core of her being, Beverly continued the treatment.

Deanna grabbed the table as the Herschel lurched suddenly sideways, almost catapulting her on to the floor. Lieutenant Biston, who had been sat on the sofa, ended up on her hands and knees in the middle of the floor. As Deanna reached for her comm badge, Jean-Luc's voice came through the shuttles comm system, saying,

'Apologies, Counsellor, Lieutenant, I was forced to take evasive action.'

'Do you require assistance, Captain?' asked Deanna.

'No, thank you, Counsellor. Are you hurt?'

Deanna looked across at Jane Biston, who smiled and said,

'I'm okay.'

'We're fine. What happened?'

'The Tesla nearly crashed into us.'

Jean-Luc sounded furious and Deanna knew that someone was about to discover what it was like to be dressed down by an expert. After nearly killing six people, they deserved it, so Deanna returned her attention to Jane, saying,

'Perhaps you should join me at the table.'

Jane smiled wryly and sat down opposite her, saying,

'I don't envy whoever was piloting that shuttle.'

Deanna smiled but didn't comment, bringing them back to their discussion about Jane's problems with social situations.

Ten minutes later, the computer chimed quietly to signal the end of the session and Deanna brought the session to a close and Jane walked over to the transporter platform. Going through to the flight deck she said,

'Lieutenant Biston is ready to transport over.'

'I'm afraid that there's going to be a delay,' said Jean-Luc, 'The Tesla is experiencing some systems failures. Data is running a diagnostic but so far he has been unable to determine the cause of the failures.'

'Is that why they nearly collided with us?'

'Yes, the braking thrusters failed without any warning. The Enterprise has got the Tesla in a tractor beam and is towing it back to the shuttle bay. Once there, Data will transfer to another shuttle along with your patient. It'll be a few minutes, I'm afraid.'

'Okay. I'll let Worf know that Jane will be late getting back.'

Deanna went back into the aft cabin to let Jane know what was going on, then used the co-pilots console to contact Worf. Her discussion with Worf was calm and businesslike and Deanna briefly wondered why she didn't feel more upset when she talked to him. Putting the thought aside for contemplation at a later date, Deanna went back into the cabin and chatted to Jane until Data arrived aboard the Cassini with her next patient.

Beverly handed over to a pale and exhausted looking Dean Rivers and headed straight to her office. Once there, she hesitated and made herself go back out into the main Sickbay area. Going across to Alyssa Ogawa, she said,

'Anything to report?'

'A couple of minor injuries, both a result of sparring exercises on the holodeck. Doctor Selar treated them.'

'Good. Is Doctor Selar in her office?'

'Yes, Doctor Crusher.'

Beverly picked up a tricorder and went into Selar's office. Selar turned to face her as she came in, waiting quietly. Beverly smiled at her and said,

'Hello.'

'Good morning, Doctor.'

'Are you feeling better?'

Selar gave her a reproving look as she said,

'I am not feeling anything. However, if you are enquiring as to my physical and mental condition, I am fully recovered, thank you.'

Reassured by Selar's composed and typically Vulcan response, Beverly said,

'Good. I'll just scan you to make sure that there are no residual effects.'

The tricorder scan was normal so Beverly turned the conversation to routine Sickbay business. Since Selar was more than capable of managing Sickbay on her own, Beverly returned to her office as soon as she had been briefed. Once there, she closed her eyes and rested, deliberately blanking her mind.

The rest of the day went smoothly, with Jean-Luc simply watching the boards as various junior officers tried to perfect their piloting skills. Several overshot by an impressive amount and almost all of them had to do three or four adjustments before matching direction and speed with the Herschel but none of them came close to colliding with the Herschel. By the end of alpha shift Jean-Luc had completed an impressive amount of paperwork and was feeling rather bored. Deanna's last patient beamed aboard the Cassini and Jean-Luc checked all the boards and set the autopilot.

As he locked the board, the cabin door opened and Deanna came in. She had removed her uniform and stood in the doorframe wearing only her lacy black underwear. Jean-Luc's body and mind both reacted instantly and he reached for her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately. Their link slammed into place and Jean-Luc groaned as mind went into overdrive, every synapse screaming with arousal. Deanna responded wildly, yanking his clothes off and pushing him on to the floor, then tearing her clothes off and joining him. He lay on his back and watched overjoyed as she moved above him, relishing the astounding sensations pouring through his body and mind. He ran his hands across her body, using his nails to gently scratch across her skin, driving Deanna to her peak. Too soon, his body's demands overwhelmed him and he was moving frantically, holding her to him until he was screaming her name as they climaxed together. Deanna collapsed on top of him and he cuddled her as they both recovered. After a few minutes, Jean-Luc roused himself enough to say,

'That was amazing. Thank you.'

Deanna smiled happily, saying,

'You were amazing too.'

They kissed tenderly before prising themselves off the deck. Jean-Luc winced as his back protested and said,

'They really need a decent sized bed on these shuttles.'

Deanna smiled mischievously and said,

'True, but if they did we wouldn't have just had sex on the flight deck of a shuttle and that's been one of my fantasies for years.'

'Mine too,' admitted Jean-Luc.

'Although in most of mine I'm on one of the consoles.'

Deanna looked speculatively around the flight deck as she spoke and Jean-Luc realised that she was actually considering it. The thought of Deanna naked on one of the consoles was intensely erotic but Jean-Luc forced himself to say,

'That better wait until we're on the holodeck, ma belle. There would be too great a risk that we'd unlock the console.'

'Or break it,' agreed Deanna ruefully.

'Or get hailed part way through.'

They both winced at the thought of Will hailing them and catching them both naked on the flight deck.

'Speaking of which, I'd better get dressed and contact the Enterprise for an update,' said Jean-Luc reluctantly.

'Yes,' agreed Deanna, 'Shall I replicate dinner?'

'If you wouldn't mind.'

'What would you like?'

'I don't mind.'

Deanna picked up her underwear and went into the aft cabin and Jean-Luc dressed and opened a channel to the Enterprise. Data and Geordi had discovered that the systems failures on the Tesla were due to the central control unit coming out of it's housing and being damaged in subsequent manoeuvres. It appeared to have been caused by a faulty bolt. They were checking the other shuttles but so far none of the others were affected.

'I'll check the Herschel when we're done here,' said Jean-Luc, 'Has Starfleet been informed?'

'Yes and they've sent out a maintenance order to all of the ships that might be affected,' replied Will.

'Good. Anything else?'

'No, Sir.'

'Have you had an update from Sickbay about Admiral Nechayev's condition?'

'Just that the treatment is going as expected.'

'All right. Keep me posted, Number One.'

'Yes, Sir. Have a good evening.'

'You too. Picard out.'

Jean-Luc checked the central control unit, finding it secure, locked the boards, then went into the cabin. Deanna was walking across from the replicator to the table and Jean-Luc's breath caught as he saw her. He had expected her to be naked but instead she was wearing one of his tank tops, which gaped at the top and ended mid-hip, sliding up and down as she walked. The mixture of concealment and exposure was incredibly sexy and as Deanna met his eyes with a teasing look, Jean-Luc knew that he was going to have a very good evening indeed.

Selar regarded her newest colleague with carefully concealed concern; Dean Rivers was becoming more and more upset as Admiral Nechayev's treatment continued. His face was pinched and drawn and he had become steadily more monosyllabic as the treatment continued. He was also showing signs of dehydration and fatigue. Feeling completely inadequate, Selar concluded that she had no idea how to help with his mental condition but that she could at least deal with his physical symptoms. Replicating a glass of an electrolyte mixture for humans, Selar crossed to where Dean sat staring into space and said,

'You are dehydrated, drink this.'

Dean jumped, then said,

'No, thank you. I'm fine.'

Selar raised her tricorder and ran it over Dean's body, frowning at the readout. Giving Dean a stern look, she said,

'You are dehydrated and your blood sugar levels are very low. You require food and drink.'

'I don't want anything.'

'It is common for humans in high stress situations to ignore their physical needs even though it is detrimental to their health.'

'No, really, I'll be fine.'

Selar resisted the temptation to sigh, simply saying,

'Doctor, your performance is being adversely affected by your physical condition.'

Dean looked up at Selar and realised that there was no point arguing any more; Doctor Selar was completely determined. Shrugging, he said,

'Fine. I'll eat and drink but there's no need for you to get it for me, I can get it.'

'You are exhausted, I am not. Logic dictates that you should rest.'

Selar turned and went to the replicator. Dean gazed at her, defeated, feeling that it was completely wrong for her to be fetching things for him but unable to explain why he didn't deserve her care.

Beverly looked at the readout unsteadily and then, very carefully, ran the test again. Admiral Nechayev was cured. She lowered the wand and said quietly,

'It's over. You're cured.'

Alynna Nechayev blinked at her and said,

'You've finished?'

Her voice was hoarse from screaming and Beverly flinched. Forcing herself to remain professional, Beverly said,

'Yes. Doctor Selar and Nurse Ogawa will come and take care of you. I'll check you in and few hours.'

'Thank you, Doctor.'

Beverly exited the privacy screen and stopped Dean from taking the wand and padd from her, saying,

'The treatment is complete.'

'Complete?' asked Dean, blankly.

'Yes, she's cured.'

'Right.'

'Go and get some sleep.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

Dean turned and walked away, his mind completely blank. Beverly turned to Alyssa Ogawa and thrust the wand and padd into her hands, saying,

'Destroy these.'

**Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Nine

Jean-Luc signed off and then checked his chronometer. Deanna's counselling session only had five minutes left to run, so he decided to wait until it had finished before taking the Herschel back to the Enterprise. As he waited he remembered something that he'd been meaning to discuss with Deanna and realised that he had an ideal opportunity to test his theory. When Deanna came through to tell him that Reg Barclay was ready to beam over to the other shuttle, Jean-Luc said,

'Ask Mr Barclay to come through to the flight deck. Admiral Nechayev's treatment is complete so we can return to the Enterprise.'

'Good,' said Deanna, a smile lighting up her face as she went to fetch Reg. When she came back, Jean-Luc was sat in the co-pilot's seat. Deanna looked over at him, waiting for his orders and Jean-Luc said,

'You have the con, Commander. Please take Tactical, Lieutenant.'

Deanna and Reg both said,

'Yes, Sir,'

and Deanna and Reg slid into their seats and Deanna started checking the boards.

Ten minutes later, they had landed without even the smallest bump in the secondary shuttle bay, in the exact spot indicated by the shuttle bay crew. Once they were secure, Jean-Luc dismissed Reg and went through to the aft cabin to collect his stuff, his suspicions confirmed. He considered mentioning it straight away but Deanna didn't report to him and, particularly now, bringing it up in his official capacity might seem a bit ambiguous. The last thing he wanted was for Beverly to think that he was trying to use his relationship with Deanna to undermine her authority. Instead he waited until he'd been briefed by Will and was catching up on paperwork in his Ready Room before taking the next step. He was about to tap his comm badge when remembered that Beverly was off duty, presumably asleep, after Admiral Nechayev's marathon treatment session, so instead he composed a brief message,

'Beverly,

Do you fancy having lunch or dinner with Deanna and I one day this week?

Jean-Luc'

Satisfied, he hit send, reminding himself that there was one other thing that he needed to check before they talked.

Beverly woke, feeling groggy and out of sorts. She'd set her alarm deliberately, knowing that she needed to spend part of the day awake otherwise she would end up reversing her sleep pattern. However, after a mere five hours of sleep, this now seemed like a truly terrible idea. She silenced the alarm, then flopped back on her pillow, seriously considering going straight back to sleep. Unfortunately, her stomach had other ideas, growling insistently. She dozed for about half an hour before admitting defeat and getting up. After eating a large meal and showering, she felt much better and decided that she might be able to face a few hours awake after all. Seeing the message light blinking on her console, Beverly logged on and started reading through her messages, sending the medical journals straight to her reading file and mentally categorising the others in terms of urgency and importance. She was trying to decide whether or not to bother answering any of them immediately, when her door chime sounded. Expecting it to be Deanna coming to check on her, Beverly didn't think about what she was wearing, simply saying,

'Enter.'

The door shushed open and Beverly heard a startled in-take of breath. Turning, she saw Paul, stopped stock still just inside the door. His eyes were glued to her body and she realised that she was only wearing her dressing gown and that it didn't so much hide as decorate her body. Smirking, she stood and walked towards him, enjoying the way his eyes followed the movement of the dressing gown as it flowed across her body as she walked. As she moved towards him, she let her eyes run down his body and her smirk deepened as she realised that he was very aroused by what he was seeing. Standing in front of him, she said,

'See something you like?'

Paul groaned and said,

'Yes. You look like every man's fantasy.'

Beverly was shocked by how aroused she was by the desire and admiration in Paul's voice and eyes. Lifting her hand to his neck, she scratched the nape of his neck gently, saying,

'Hmm, every man's? So yours then?'

The touch of her hand was enough to snap Paul's self-control and Beverly suddenly found herself pinned against the wall whilst Paul kissed her. Beverly kissed him back and ran her hands across his shoulders and into his hair. His hands moved slowly across her body, moving from her shoulders, down towards her breasts. Beverly moaned into his mouth as he cupped her breasts and bolts of pleasure went through her as ran his thumbs over her nipples. Beverly slid her hands under his shirt and across his back, pushing the shirt upwards as she went. Paul pulled away from her for a moment to take his shirt off and he paused for a moment to admire Beverly's stunning beauty. She reached for him but he held her off, saying,

'Are you sure?'

'Yes.'

Paul still hesitated so she said,

'I'll explain later. Now, either ravish me or get out so I can use my vibrator.'

The mention of her vibrator had the effect that she had known it would; within seconds her dressing gown was on the floor and Paul was pulling her towards the bed. Beverly climbed eagerly on to the bed and watched as Paul ripped the rest of his clothes off. He was tall and broad-shouldered and Beverly shivered at the thought of his strong body on top of her. Her eyes drifted lower and Paul, laughed, saying,

'See something you like?'

Beverly smiled up at him and his breath caught in his throat. Fully clothed, Beverly Crusher was beautiful, naked she was sensational. Barely able to form a coherent thought, Paul joined Beverly on the bed and they began to explore each other's bodies. Paul very quickly realised that he needed to take control if he wasn't going to embarrass himself, Beverly was far to good with her hands. Capturing her hands in his, he gently placed them above her head, saying,

'No touching.'

She smirked and then ignored him, running her hands down the front of his body, wanting to make him squirm. He caught her hands again, this time more firmly and held them above her head, saying,

'Beverly, if you don't stop, I'm the only one who's going to have an orgasm here and I don't want that so keep your hands here.'

Beverly shot him a teasing look but forced herself to keep her hands above her head. Paul continued exploring her body, using his hands and mouth to make her squirm and writhe. After a few minutes she was desperate for release so she used a Mok'bara move to flip them so that she was on top, then reached down to hold him steady whilst she joined their bodies, starting to move immediately. Paul let her have her way for a couple of minutes then turned them again so that he was on top once more. They moved in unison, getting steadily faster and faster. Paul somehow managed to hold off until Beverly was nearly there and they climaxed together. Afterwards, Paul cradled Beverly tenderly in his arms and without her even realising it, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Deanna looked around Jean-Luc's quarters with a satisfied smile. It was nice to have familiar things around her and, more importantly, a decent-sized bed. Jean-Luc had sent her a message to say that he was running a few minutes late so she decided to make herself comfortable. Shrugging her uniform off, she showered and then wrapped herself in a towel. Sat on the edge of the bed, she brushed her hair and tried to decide what she wanted to do this evening. It would be good to catch up with her friends but Beverly, Alyssa and Selar were either on duty or catching up on their sleep. She briefly considered suggesting to Jean-Luc that they do something with Data and Geordi, then laughed at her self. Why was she thinking of other things to do when there was only one thing that she wanted to do; make love to Jean-Luc. Smiling, she went into the living area and sat down on the sofa, casually loosening the towel as she did so, leaving herself partially naked, knowing that Jean-Luc found that more arousing than complete nudity.

When Jean-Luc came in he was covered from head to foot in oil. In answer to Deanna's mute query, he said,

'There was a leak in Engineering. I managed to be stood right underneath it when it burst.'

Deanna winced sympathetically and said,

'Were you hurt?'

'No, just embarrassed. I'm very dirty, I'm afraid.'

Deanna shrugged and followed him into the bathroom, saying,

'Why don't I help you get clean?'

Jean-Luc's pulse began to race as Deanna openly watched him undress and then followed him into the shower.

The first ten minutes of the shower were spent getting rid of the oil that had soaked through Jean-Luc's clothes, coating every inch of his skin, but once he was clean their touches became sensual and they quickly became aroused. He knelt in front of her and made her scream with pleasure and she reciprocated, using the mind link to draw out his pleasure until both their bodies were shaking with arousal. When he eventually climaxed the sensation was so intense that he almost blacked out, sliding down the wall to join her on the floor. He pulled her to him and laughed weakly as he said,

'Water off. Commence drying cycle.'

**Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Ten

Beverly woke as her alarm sounded, saying automatically,

'Alarm off. Lights fifty percent.'

Coming fully awake, she realised that she was in Paul's arms and she smiled as she remembered what had happened the night before. His arms tightened around her and she lifted herself up slightly so that she could kiss him. He deepened the kiss and his hands started to caress her. She was going to tell him that there wasn't time for them to make love but when his lips found the spot under her ear, arousal shot through her and instead, she said,

'We need to be quick.'

'I would tell you how good I am at being quick but since I'm still trying to impress you, I'm going to pretend that anything less than an hour is quick by my standards.'

Beverly laughed and pulled his mouth up for another kiss, running her hands over his chest. Paul slid his hand down her body, reaching between her legs to stroke gently. Beverly moaned and he kissed his way down her body using his mouth to send her spiralling upwards. Beverly arched into his caresses, feeling her orgasm starting to build even though it had only been a couple of minutes. Paul smiled against her and slowly increased the tempo. After a couple of minutes, Beverly tried to pull him up to her but Paul waited until she was swearing incoherently at him before moving up the bed and entering her. They moved frantically together and Paul made no attempt to hold back, knowing that they didn't have time and hoping that he'd done enough to get her there. Just as he was about to climax, she screamed his name and contracted around him, sending him over the edge. They lay together enjoying the afterglow for a couple of minutes, then Beverly sat up, saying,

'I have to get moving, I'm on alpha shift.'

'So am I.'

'Do you want to shower first?'

'Okay.'

Paul forced himself to stop admiring Beverly's body and hurried into the bathroom. By the time they had both showered and eaten a quick breakfast, there was no time left to talk and they parted with a quick kiss and a promise to have lunch together.

The morning meeting was brief with only routine matters to discuss until they came to the medical briefing. Jean-Luc had expected to be told that Nechayev would be discharged in a couple of days but instead Beverly said,

'Recovery times are usually one to three weeks.'

'One to three weeks?' said Jean-Luc, amazed.

'Because of the stress on the central nervous system. I'll know more after I've run some tests but given Admiral Nechayev's age I would expect her recovery time to be two to three weeks.'

'Two to three weeks? But that means…' said Will, dismayed.

'Relax, Will,' said Beverly, clearly amused by his dismay, 'the facilities at Starbase Eighty-One are far better than ours, so unless something unexpected happens, I'll transfer her to their Sickbay when we arrive.'

Jean-Luc smiled at Will's relieved expression but inwardly he was relieved too. It wasn't that he thought that Admiral Nechayev would interfere with the mission because she was too much of a stickler for protocol to do that, it was simply that having her looking over his shoulder the whole time would make him jumpy.  
>After the morning meeting, Jean-Luc got his logs back up to date and went through the padds that needed his attention. Paperwork done for the moment, he accessed the personnel records and called up Deanna's file. Going back to her Starfleet Academy records he found the notation that he'd thought he remembered and he smiled in satisfaction. Of course, Deanna might look at him as if he was a lunatic when he suggested it but somehow he didn't think so.<p>

Beverly smiled gently at Admiral Nechayev and said,

'How are you feeling today?'

'Better, thank you, Doctor.'

'I need to carry out some tests. Tell me if you need a rest or if anything hurts.'

Nechayev nodded and Beverly began. The first tests were merely a series of scans and Alynna was soon feeling bored and wondering how soon she could sneak her assistant in. After the scans were complete, Beverly got her to walk, hop, jump and jog before moving on to catching, first with both hands then with one. Alynna was shocked out her boredom when she realised that she could no longer catch with her left hand. White-faced, she looked at Beverly, who instantly said,

'It's a normal effect of the treatment. It should wear off after a few days.'

'And if it doesn't?'

'Then you'd need nerve regeneration. Tedious but straightforward nowadays.'

As she spoke, Beverly put her hand on Alynna's shoulder and squeezed gently. Alynna Nechayev felt the fear drain out of her as Beverly's words sank in and she drew in a shaky breath. Beverly looked at her worriedly and said,

'We'll leave it there for today.'

'No, I'm all right. It's fine motor co-ordination next, I assume?'

'Yes, but are you sure?'

'Yes and I realise that my left hand's not likely to co-operate but you need to know, don't you, Doctor?'

'I do, but not so urgently that it can't wait a few hours.'

'I'd rather do it now and know what the damage is,' said Nechayev firmly.

Beverly looked at Nechayev's face and saw the determination and the courage there. Nodding, she said,

'All right.'

Alynna sat down and Beverly started the tests. By the time that she'd finished, Alynna was dismayed; she was incapable of carrying out any tasks requiring control or precision. Correctly interpreting her expression, Beverly said,

'Why don't you have a coffee while I analyse your results and then I'll come and discuss them with you?'

Alynna nodded and, having found out what she wanted, Beverly crossed to the replicator and said,

'One decaffeinated coffee, white, hot and one Vulcan tea, hot.'

Alynna accepted the coffee but said,

'Decaffeinated?'

'No stimulants for two weeks, I'm afraid.'

Alynna grimaced but was too anxious about her test results to protest. A few minutes later, Beverly sat down opposite her and said,

'I've finished the analysis and it's good news.'

'It is?' said Alynna, surprised.

'Yes. The damage to your central nervous system is far less extensive than would have been expected. Your motor skills should all start to return within a few days and I wouldn't expect you to need any medical intervention though you will need daily physiotherapy.'

'For how long?'

'Six to eight weeks. Then once weekly sessions for approximately three months.'

'That's going to play havoc with my schedule.'

Alynna sounded resigned rather than angry so Beverly merely said,

'It's mandatory, Admiral. You also have a twenty-one percent loss of vision in your left eye, ten percent in the right. The computer estimates that you will regain between half and three quarters of that over the next six months. I'll make arrangements for you to see a specialist in six months time.'

'Thank you.'

Beverly nodded acknowledgement and continued,

'Your hearing has suffered only minor damage, less than five percent, and it should return to normal very quickly.'

'Good,' said Alynna, relieved that at least one part of her body was working.

'Your digestive system will need a few days to recover so you'll be on a special diet for the next week.'

Alynna nodded then said,

'When can I be discharged?'

'In about two weeks, if you improve as quickly as predicted.'

'Two weeks? I can't be off duty for two weeks!'

'I'm sorry, Admiral, but that's how long it takes to recover from Tobull's Disease.'

'Fine. I'm discharging myself.'

'No, you're not.'

'I am not staying in Sickbay for two weeks. I've got too much work to do. Give me my clothes back, I'm leaving now.'

Alynna Nechayev glared at Beverly Crusher, waiting for her to back down. However, Beverly simply returned her glare, saying,

'If you walk out of that door, not only will I put you on Report for neglecting your health, I'll get Security to find you and bring you back here.'

Alynna looked into Beverly's eyes and saw not only anger but absolute commitment as well. Shaking her head in disbelief, Alynna said,

'Damn, you'd actually do it, wouldn't you?'

'Without hesitation.'

Stunned, Alynna said,

'You don't care what I might do to your career at all, do you? As far as you're concerned, my health is more important than any repercussions.'

'Well, yes. But what sort of doctor would I be if I put my career ahead of your health?'

Alynna smiled wryly, thinking of all the political animals she'd met in Starfleet Medical, some of whom would have undoubtedly let her leave in order to curry favour, regardless of the medical consequences. Looking at Beverly's determined countenance, she said,

'An ambitious doctor rather than a good one.'

'Thank you, Admiral.'

Beverly's tone was still frosty and the look she gave the admiral made it quite clear that she wasn't going to be diverted by discussions of ethics. Bowing to necessity, Alynna said,

'I won't try to leave until you say that I'm well enough.'

Mollified, Beverly smiled at her, saying,

'Thank you, Admiral. We'll get you out of here as soon as possible.'

Jean-Luc was looking at potential replacements for Worf when his comm panel lit. Hitting accept, he found himself reading a message from Deanna,

'Jean-Luc,

I've booked Holodeck 2 for 17:30 hours. Do you think you'll be able to make it?

Deanna'

At first Jean-Luc wondered why Deanna hadn't used her comm badge to contact him but then he realised that she was carefully differentiating between personal and ships business. Not only had she not used her comm badge, she'd used his personal comm address not the captain's. Smiling, he replied,

'Deanna,

Shouldn't be a problem. Do I need to bring anything?'

Jean-Luc'

A minute later she replied,

'No, just yourself. No need to change either – your costume will be waiting for you inside the holodeck.'

'Good. See you there.'

Smiling, Jean-Luc leaned back in his chair as he tried to work out what Deanna had planned for later, all thought of Worf's replacement forgotten.

**Please review. **


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Eleven

Beverly smiled at Paul as she sat opposite him. They were in his quarters and she took the opportunity to look round curiously. The room was relatively bare but he had one or two personal items; there were certificates on the walls, a couple of trophies on the bookshelves and picture of him with a woman, who Beverly assumed was his dead wife. She resisted the temptation to examine the photo more closely knowing that it might make Paul uncomfortable. There would be plenty of time for Paul to tell her about his wife. Paul bought the food to the table and Beverly was amused to note that even though he'd invited her over for a light lunch there was plenty of food. Smiling she said,

'Feeling hungry?'

'Yes and I know you like to eat plenty anyway.'

The remark was completely casual and light-hearted and intellectually Beverly knew that Paul didn't mean anything detrimental by it but for some reason the remark brushed her up the wrong way. Glaring at Paul she said,

'What's that supposed to mean?'

Paul looked at her baffled, saying,

'Nothing, I just thought you'd be hungry after working all morning.'

'Right, so you weren't suggesting that I eat too much then?' said Beverly accusingly.

'No, I wasn't. Your body is perfect; why would I comment about your eating habits?'

'I don't know,' said Beverly, feeling her anger drain away, 'I guess I'm just feeling…'

'Feeling?'

'I don't know what I'm feeling actually,' said Beverly bemused, 'I just suddenly felt very angry. Now I'm fine.'

Paul shrugged casually and said,

'You've been under a lot of stress, it's probably just that.'

'Maybe,' said Beverly dubiously, 'but I don't normally react that badly to stress. I shouldn't have snapped at you that way, you didn't deserve it.'

'Don't worry about it. I'm a big boy, you know.'

Beverly arched an eyebrow suggestively and giggled at his phraseology, saying,

'Trying to impress me again?'

Paul laughed and said,

'Too late for that one. I'm just taking comfort from the fact that you didn't run out of the room laughing last night.'

Beverly smiled, saying,

'I was too busy enjoying myself.'

'Good,' said Paul, happily.

Their eyes met and Beverly inhaled sharply as arousal flooded her from the heat in his gaze and she abandoned her food, going around the table and sitting on his lap. Paul ran one hand gently through her hair and put his other arm around her, holding her gently. Beverly snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes as she felt her stress melting away. They stayed like that until her stomach rumbled loudly, making them both laugh. Beverly started to get up but Paul tightened his grip, saying,

'No need to move.'

Beverly shot him a quizzical look that was replaced with a smile as he began to feed her. Chewing happily, she snagged a fork and loaded it with food for Paul.

Jean-Luc hurried towards the holodeck, anticipation coursing through his veins. The fact that Deanna had refused to tell him what she had planned only made him more excited. They had discussed their fantasies openly and had found that they had many in common, which had not surprised Deanna. She had smiled wryly saying,

'Starfleet officers often have similar fantasies; it's something about the mindset.'

'So we are an open book to you, are we?' Jean-Luc had asked flippantly.

'Absolutely,' she had replied laughing.

Jean-Luc found the program up and running when he arrived at the holodeck so he went inside, finding himself in a small changing area. Hanging on a hook was a lieutenant commander's uniform in Engineering Department red, from the era of Kirk's Enterprise. Arousal snaked down Jean-Luc's spine as he realised which fantasy Deanna had chosen today. He smiled lustfully as he realised that Deanna would be wearing a miniskirt and a skin-tight top. He stripped rapidly and put on the new uniform, struggling slightly with the unfamiliar fastenings. When he finally got the trousers on he realised that there was another reason why he had been struggling; they were an extremely snug fit. It was fortunate that they were made from stretchy material, mused Jean-Luc as he walked over to the entrance at the back of the changing rooms, otherwise he would be in some discomfort. As it was he merely felt on display, which since Deanna was the only person who was going to see him didn't matter. The door opened and he found himself in the engineering department of the Enterprise of a hundred years ago. Jean-Luc ignored all the people moving around him and made his way quickly past the warp core to the Chief Engineer's office. Going inside he shut the door and sat behind the desk and waited.

Ensign Troi walked nervously past her colleagues, holding the pad with hands that were slightly unsteady. Chief Engineer Picard was notorious for giving his subordinates a hard time. He was also incredibly sexy, which didn't help her composure at all. She paused outside his office door to check that her uniform was straight and her hair tidy before hitting the chime. The door opened and Deanna stepped inside and walked over to the desk, saying,

'I have the report that you requested, Sir.'

Lieutenant Commander Picard stood up from behind his desk, looking Ensign Troi up and down. As he walked round the desk he said,

'It is my job to prepare you for the difficulties that you are likely to encounter aboard ship. One of the main challenges for members of the Engineering Department is to operate at peak efficiency whilst being distracted by alarms, random ship movements or other emergencies. I am going to help you learn to ignore distractions.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'You are going to read out the report to me in a calm and steady manner and you are going to ignore whatever I do to distract you. Is that understood?'

Ensign Troi shifted nervously under her commanding officer's gaze but managed to stammer out,

'Yes, Sir.'

'Begin.'

Deanna took a deep breath, thumbed the padd screen on and began to read,

'Engineering Supplies Status Report. Replacement dilithium crystals: two. Starfleet recommended number: two. Enterprise stores at 100%…'

As Deanna recited the information on the padd she was aware that Lieutenant Commander Picard was slowly circling her, examining her from all angles. Despite trying to watch him out of the corner of her eyes, she was still taken by surprise when he clapped his hands next to her left ear. Shocked, she stuttered and dropped the padd. Bending over, she retrieved the pad, saying,

'Sorry, Sir.'

'That was unsatisfactory, Ensign. If a little thing like that puts you off, how will you cope when photon torpedoes are impacting the hull? Begin again.'

Deanna hesitantly began reading again; doing her best to ignore her commanding officer who was standing behind her, leaning over her shoulder. As she took a breath, his hand reached up and stroked her back from her shoulder down to her waist slowly and gently. Their minds linked the moment he touched her. She could sense his arousal and Deanna was unable to fight back a groan as pleasure surged through her body. Picard growled his displeasure into her ear, saying sternly,

'Concentrate. Begin again.'

Desperately trying to even out her breathing, Deanna started reading the status report again. This time she managed to avoid groaning when he touched her, somehow keeping her voice even as he ran a finger down her arm and then around her waist, applying just enough pressure to make her arousal build even more. He reached up and loosened her hair, tugging firmly and another wave of pleasure crashed through Deanna's body and mind. He added his second hand, running both of them down her back and onto her hips, cupping her buttocks and squeezing. Deanna bit her lip to stop a whimper from escaping, thinking that she had succeeded but he noticed her hesitation and said,

'A second's hesitation in battle could mean death. Begin again.'

'Yes Sir.'

This time his hands were travelling over the front of her body, starting at her stomach and then very slowly moving upwards to her breasts. Picard's hands squeezed her breasts firmly, making her shake with arousal. She desperately tried to focus on the words on the padd as one hand continued to caress her breasts whilst the other slid downwards to the apex of her thighs. He only caressed her briefly before stopping and removing his hands from her body completely. Deanna had a brief moment of incomprehension before he was in front of her, grasping the top of her uniform shirt in his hands and yanking it apart. The material tore easily, leaving Deanna just wearing a miniskirt and tights. Picard reached forward and pinched her nipples gently. Deanna moaned helplessly, desperately aroused. Picard caught her eyes in a fierce glare, saying harshly,

'Begin again.'

Pinned by his stare Deanna obediently started reciting again, trying to ignore what his hands were doing. Jean-Luc slipped his hand into the waistband of Deanna's tights and pulled hard. The tights came apart in his hands, leaving her naked underneath the skirt and he smirked as Deanna let out a loud groan. He slid one hand under her skirt and rubbed firmly even as he said,

'You lack concentration, Ensign. Start again.'

Before Jean-Luc could finish the sentence, Deanna climaxed, screaming and falling against him. Jean-Luc held her whilst she shuddered then lay her on the desk. He undid his trousers and pushed them down, too aroused to even consider taking the time to remove them. Their arousal merged and grew as their bodies joined and as they moved together, Jean-Luc lost all awareness of everything except for Deanna and the desire burning through his body. As they climaxed together, he heard her voice in his mind, saying his name and he reciprocated, delighted by the expression of amazed joy on Deanna's face.

As he came back to himself, Jean-Luc realised that they were lying on a very hard desk. Wincing slightly, he said,

'Computer, replace the desk with a double bed.'

As he completed the command the desk shimmered and they found themselves on the edge of a bed. Jean-Luc let Deanna scramble up the bed, then followed, pulling her into his arms. After they had recovered a bit, he asked,

'Was it as good as your fantasy?'

'Better. You look so sexy in that uniform. Thank you Jean-Luc.'

'Don't thank me, that was amazing. I really enjoyed ripping your clothes off. If only I could do that with your real uniform.'

Deanna shivered at the thought of Jean-Luc tearing her normal uniform off of her body but smiled ruefully, saying,

'I don't think Starfleet are going to authorise paper uniforms anytime soon.'

'Probably not.'

'How did you know how to reach me telepathically?'

'I still have Sarek's memories from when we were melded. I wasn't sure if a Vulcan technique would work for a non-telepath but I decided that I might as well make the attempt. Was it clear?'

'I heard you call my name. Was that what you wanted to do?'

'Yes, I thought I'd keep my first effort simple.'

Deanna smiled happily and Jean-Luc decided to see whether there were any other Vulcan techniques that he could use. They cuddled until the holodeck computer reminded them that they only had ten minutes left. As they changed, Deanna asked,

'So which fantasy do you want to try next? Ensign Picard's Performance Review or how about The Sheriff and The Saloon Girl?'

'I quite fancy Gamma Shift on the Bridge', said Jean-Luc.

'Sounds good,' said Deanna, 'Shall I book the holodeck or will you?'

**Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Twelve

Beverly smiled at Paul as they walked towards the holodeck, saying,

'Am I allowed to know what you've got planned?'

She had dressed for exercise, as he'd suggested and was curious to know what he had planned. As he had refused to give her any clues, she had put her tennis kit on and had been delighted by Paul's speechless appreciation of her short skirt and skin-tight top when he had first seen her.

'Well, I wondered how you felt about phaser target practice?'

'You just want to show off, don't you?'

'Guilty as charged. I hoping that you'll be so impressed by my prowess that you'll let me drag you back to my cave.'

'And have your wicked way with me?'

Beverly's voice was slightly sharp and Paul chose his words carefully, saying,

'If it's what you want too.'

'It seems a lot of effort just to persuade me to have sex. Why didn't you just ask me if I fancied a fuck?'

Paul gaped at her briefly before saying,

'Because I usually get my face slapped when I say that.'

Beverly chuckled at the slightly shocked expression on Paul's face, reflecting that she'd probably been around Deanna too much; Deanna's blunt attitude towards sex was obviously catching. Deciding to tease Paul some more, she said,

'Usually? So you say it often?'

Laughing, Paul said,

'Oh no, you don't get me like that, you minx. I have never asked a woman if she fancied a fuck. Even when I was a sex-crazed seventeen year-old I knew better than that.'

'So you were always well-behaved?…Oh, well.'

Paul shot Beverly an amused glance but waited until they were inside the holodeck before replying,

'So, you'd prefer me to be a bit less well-behaved, would you?'

Paul's voice was a low growl and Beverly felt arousal rush through her body. She turned to face him, intending to make a flippant remark but her breath caught at the desire on his face and she forgot what she was about to say.  
>Paul saw the arousal on Beverly's face and kissed her passionately, backing her up against the wall as he did so. Beverly moaned and ran her hands down his body, wanting to make him moan in return. Before her hands reached their destination, Paul caught them in his and pulled them above her head, pinning them there with one of his. Beverly wriggled her body against his, making no attempt to free her hands and Paul let his free hand roam her body, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. He slid his hand under her top and caressed her breasts through her bra, before reaching behind her to unclip it and push it up, allowing him to kiss and suck her nipples. Beverly writhed and pushed upwards, trying to increase the contact with his mouth and Paul smiled and began to flick his tongue across her nipple. She began to buck her hips against his so he moved his mouth back up to hers and slid his hand lower, pushing her clothing out of his way so he could stroke her. Beverly arched her body into his hand and kissed him fervently. He moved his lips along her jaw then kissed and sucked her neck whilst he caressed her. Within a few minutes she was whimpering and begging him not to stop.<br>Paul pushed her panties down her legs and said hoarsely,

'Kick them off.'

Beverly frantically toed them off and opened her legs wider, saying,

'Now. Please.'

Paul used his free hand to push his shorts down and eagerly pushed himself into Beverly. They both groaned and then Paul was moving, unable to hold back. He held Beverly's hands above her head with both of his and thrust firmly, pinning Beverly to the wall. Beverly felt a wave of pleasure go through her as she realised that Paul was in total control and when he gently bit her ear lobe, she screamed as her climax ripped through her. Her climax sent Paul over the edge too and a few seconds later they slid down the wall, panting and holding on to each other.  
>Paul let go of Beverly's hands and cradled her gently in his arms, running his hands through her hair, saying,<p>

'God, you're incredible.'

'You were pretty good yourself.'

Paul smiled happily at her and kissed her gently. After a few minutes he said,

'So, how about that target practice?'

Laughing, Beverly let him help her to her feet.

Selar worked through her shift with mechanical precision, making sure to keep her movements calm and controlled. When Dean Rivers arrived, she handed over to him with relief, pleased that he seemed disinclined to chat. Leaving Sickbay, she returned to her quarters and replicated herself a glass of water. As she drank it she changed into her off duty clothes and lit her meditation candle. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she gazed at the candle and began the steps needed to enter a meditative state. Half an hour later she realised that she had clenched her fists and consciously made herself relax them. Taking some deep breaths, she closed her eyes and began again.

Beverly woke early the next morning and smiled at the weight of Paul's arm across her waist. Jack had been a snuggler and whenever he came home on leave she had had to adjust to him wrapping both arms and legs around her at night. Without warning, a wave of intense grief swept through her and she burst into tears. Paul woke and immediately pulled her into his arms and held her until her tears stopped. Beverly shook her head when he asked her if she wanted to talk about it, saying,

'No. Anyway, it's time to get up. I usually have breakfast with Deanna and Jean-Luc; do you fancy joining us? Or I can cancel and we can eat together here.'

'I'm happy to join Deanna and Jean-Luc as long as they don't mind me tagging along.'

'I'll let Jean-Luc know,' said Beverly going to the comm unit.

Breakfast was relaxed and Beverly glad to see that whilst Jean-Luc was quiet, he didn't show any hostility or suspicion towards Paul. As she left she realised that she was being unfair to Jean-Luc; he never pre-judged people, it was one of his best character traits.

As the door closed behind Beverly and Paul, Deanna turned to Jean-Luc and raised an eyebrow, saying,

'What's wrong?'

'Nothing…did Beverly seem all right to you?'

'I didn't pick anything in particular up from her…except for a bit of nervousness, which…'

'Which is only to be expected given that that was the first time she's brought Paul with her to breakfast.'

'Yes, why? What did you pick up?'

'I thought she seemed tired.'

'Tired! Jean-Luc, I don't know how to break it to you, but if she and Paul are having sex then she may be losing sleep.'

Jean-Luc smiled perfunctorily but said,

'No, I meant mentally tired. She didn't seem as sharp today somehow. But you didn't pick up anything except for the nervousness?'

'No, but I had my shields fully raised.'

Jean-Luc looked questioningly at her so she continued,

'We were sat too close together; our mind link would have formed if I'd lowered my shields. You can imagine the field day Beverly would have had if I'd leapt on you in the middle of breakfast.'

'Only too clearly,' said Jean-Luc wincing.

Deanna smiled but reverted to their original topic of conversation,

'I'll be in Sickbay later; do you want me to check on her?'

'Only if you can do so without antagonising her. I don't want to cause you problems.'

'Jean-Luc, I'm the lead counsellor; it's my job to make sure that Beverly's all right. And Beverly's used to me checking up on her.'

Jean-Luc nodded and said,

'Make it so.'

Beverly absent-mindedly took the data padd that Dean held out to her, saying,

'Thank you, doctor. Any problems?'

'No, doctor. Only two minor injuries all shift.'

'Good. Go and get some rest, Dean.'

'Yes, doctor.'

Dean hurried out of Sickbay, glad that Dr Crusher had been distracted. It had been a quiet shift, which had given him time to think and he was sure now what he had to do. He knew that it would be inconvenient for Dr Crusher but he could see no other course of action. He would eat and then do it.

Jean-Luc was in his Ready Room going through paperwork when his door chimed,

'Enter.'

Will came in and Jean-Luc smiled at the jubilation in his eyes.

'Will, come and sit down.'

'Thank you, Sir. I take it you know that I've been offered the Eddison?'

'Yes, Admiral Nechayev told me. Are you going to take it?'

'Yes. I think I'm ready this time.'

'That's wonderful, Will. Congratulations.'

Jean-Luc stood up and shook Will warmly by the hand.

'Thank you.'

'When are we losing you?'

'I'll disembark at Starbase Eighty-one, if that's all right with you, Sir.'

'Of course. When is she due to launch?'

Jean-Luc and Will spent the rest of the morning discussing Will's new ship and potential first officers for both their ships. Jean-Luc was relieved to hear that Will was not going to try to take Data with him,

'I don't want to get a reputation for poaching people from other captains.'

'He may choose to apply.'

'When he's got a chance to become first officer on the flagship? He'd be a fool to risk it. And Data never takes illogical chances.'

'True.'

Once Will had gone back to his office to officially accept his new posting, Jean-Luc called Data into his Ready Room.

'Yes, Captain?'

'Commander Riker has been promoted. He'll be leaving us at Starbase Eighty-one and I'm putting you in charge of his going away party.'

'Yes, Captain. Is it to be a surprise party?'

'Of course. Commander Riker is certain to try to trick you into giving him the details so be on your guard.'

'Yes, Captain. Do you wish there to be a theme?'

'I don't think so, Data. Just make it big, loud and fun. And get as many of his friends there as is possible given the short notice. And try to make sure that it runs across at least two shifts so that everyone has a chance to say goodbye.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'And Data…'

'Yes, Captain?'

'I expect your application on my desk oh-nine-hundred hours tomorrow.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Dismissed.'

Beverly had given in to Admiral Nechayev's pleas of boredom and allowed her aide to visit briefly. She busied herself at the other end of Sickbay to give them some privacy but turned to face them as Admiral Nechayev sat bolt upright, saying ferociously,

'You did what?'

As Lieutenant T'lim quailed, Beverly hurried across the room as an alarm began to sound on bio bed three.

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	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Thirteen

Beverly checked the readouts on Admiral Nechayev's bed before silencing the blood pressure alarm. Her blood pressure was not dangerously high but Beverly was not pleased that the Admiral's aide had annoyed her enough to make her blood pressure spike. Glaring at Lieutenant T'lim, Beverly said,

'What's going on?'

'I have arranged for Mister Nechayev to rendezvous with us at Starbase Eighty-one,' explained T'lim.

Even though the lieutenant was maintaining her emotional control, Beverly had worked with enough Vulcans to know that she was completely bewildered by Admiral Nechayev's reaction. Seeing that Nechayev was still struggling to control her temper, Beverly asked,

'Why?'

'He insisted that he had to see Admiral Nechayev as soon as possible so I checked flight plans for him and having determined that the earliest possible rendezvous was Starbase Eighty-one, I booked the relevant flights for him.'

'Why does he need to see the Admiral?'

'He said that it was essential that they reaffirm their spiritual and physical connection after the Admiral's illness.'

'How did he know about my illness?' asked Nechayev in a cold and quiet voice.

'He contacted me on the second day of your treatment because he had been unable to contact you. He asked where you were…'

'So of course you told him,' said Nechayev, leaning back with a resigned sigh, the tension leaching out of her body.

'Yes,' said T'lim, looking puzzled, 'Should I have withheld the information?'

'No,' said Nechayev, shrugging, 'It's just that Bill doesn't do Starfleet… and he's very distracting.'

'Oh?' asked Beverly, intrigued.

She knew that Nechayev was married with children and grandchildren but she had never heard anything about her husband.

'Bill's an artist and he finds Starfleet's rules and regulations too confining.'

'A lot of people don't have the right psychological profile to feel comfortable serving in Starfleet,' said Beverly.

Nechayev smiled softly, saying,

'Imagine the exact opposite of the ideal psychological profile for a Starfleet officer and that's Bill.'

Beverly looked at Nechayev speculatively, wondering how she'd ended up with someone so different to her. Attraction of opposites perhaps? Or was it unconscious rebellion on Nechayev's part?

Her train of thought was interrupted by Lieutenant T'lim, who said,

'So my actions were acceptable?'

'Yes but another time, I would prefer my husband not to know that I was ill.'

Lieutenant T'lim looked confused and Beverly retreated to the other side of the room as Admiral Nechayev attempted to explain. Having had similar conversations with Selar, Beverly knew that to Vulcans the idea of withholding information from a spouse was bizarre and illogical whereas to humans it could seem perfectly sensible.

Jean-Luc waited for Deanna inside the holodeck, feeling his excitement build. He was dressed in a Lieutenant's uniform and was sitting in the Captain's chair on the Bridge of the Enterprise-B. He had originally intended to use Kirk's Enterprise again but one look around the holographic Bridge had dissuaded him; there were too many buttons and protuberances and the Captain's chair was too high off the floor. As it was, he'd made a few minor modifications and brought some equipment in with him in order to turn fantasy into reality. The Bridge was quiet with only a couple of other crewmembers, reflecting the reduced staffing levels that were the norm for gamma shift.  
>Deanna came in and he admired her body as she walked over to the helm and relieved the holographic Ensign on duty. Once he'd left, there was only one other person on the Bridge, the Ops officer. Jean-Luc deliberately let the anticipation build, waiting for several minutes before sending the Ops officer down to 'help in Engineering for the rest of the shift'. As soon as the turbolift doors shut, he said,<p>

'Computer, lock all turbolifts.'

'Acknowledged.'

'Ensign, set the autopilot and then disable the helm and ops controls.'

'Aye, aye, Sir.'

Deanna shivered as Jean-Luc stood behind her, watching as she obeyed his commands. As soon as she had finished he said,

'Come here.'

She stood and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately. Their mind link formed and Deanna moaned as his arousal rushed through her mind; despite his controlled exterior, Jean-Luc was finding this scenario very arousing. Jean-Luc pushed Deanna's chin up and started to nibble along her jaw line, stopping when he reached the spot directly below her chin and sucking hard. Deanna felt her legs starting to give way and Jean-Luc tightened his hold on her, leading her over to the Captain's chair and sitting her on his lap. As they kissed, Jean-Luc removed her uniform until she was sitting naked in his lap. Deanna pushed his jacket off then stood to remove the rest of his clothing. Jean-Luc let his hands roam freely, seeking out Deanna's erogenous zones, scratching and pinching, using their mind link to apply exactly the right amount of pressure to send her arousal soaring. He raised his hips to allow her to remove his trousers and briefs and she sank to her knees to remove them along with his socks and shoes. He felt her brief flash of amusement as she realised that the floor in front of the Captain's chair was raised and padded, then he was groaning and gripping the arms of the chair as she used her mouth to drive him wild. After a few minutes, he made her stop, not wanting the fantasy to end that quickly. They swapped places and he used his hands and mouth to send her spiralling upward into an intense climax. He waited until she had come down and then began again, using his knowledge of her body to make her scream with pleasure again and again. Eventually, his arousal became too intense to ignore and he led her over to the helm, turning her so she was facing the Captain's chair, and saying,

'Lean back, ma belle.'

Deanna shot him a dubious look, which became one of comprehension as he attached straps to each of the top corners. She put her hands through the loops and lay back. Jean-Luc put his hands on her waist and lifted her, saying,

'Put a foot on each seat.'

He had altered the positioning of the seats so that Deanna could reach comfortably and a few seconds later she had adjusted her hands and feet so that she was lying over the console. Jean-Luc groaned at the sight of her exquisite beauty but managed to say,

'Are you comfortable enough?'

'Yes. I feel very sexy.'

'You look incredible.'

Jean-Luc leaned over and kissed her then slowly joined their bodies. Another wave of arousal crashed over them both and Jean-Luc's self-controlled shattered and he gave himself over to frantic joy as their bodies and minds merged. They climaxed together and Jean-Luc projected his voice into her mind again, hearing the overtones of deep satisfaction in her mental voice as she reciprocated. Coming back to himself, Jean-Luc pulled Deanna on to his lap as he slumped into the nearest chair.  
>After several minutes Deanna raised her head from his shoulder, saying,<p>

'That was amazing.'

'Yes, it was.'

'Next time I want to make love in the Captain's chair.'

'Yes, though I'll have to make it wider.'

'Or remove the armrests,' said Deanna, looking at the chair speculatively.

'I'll make a few modifications,' said Jean-Luc smiling.

Selar waited until her patient had left Sickbay then went into her office, sitting down. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started biofeedback exercises. After five minutes her hands had stopped shaking and after another three minutes the nausea had passed. Without emotion, Selar selected a data padd and went back to work.

Jean-Luc sat on the sofa in his quarters scrolling through a padd. Hearing Deanna coming out of the bedroom, he said, without looking up,

'You enjoy piloting, don't you?'

'Yes but at the moment I'm more interested in riding lessons.'

Deanna's voice was full of arousal and Jean-Luc's eyes snapped up. As he saw her, his thoughts scattered and the padd slipped out his suddenly sweaty palms. She was wearing riding boots, chaps and a very tight riding jacket. As she sauntered towards him, it became very clear that she was wearing nothing else. Jean-Luc swallowed dryly as she sat astride him, feeling the blood rushing to his groin. In the tiny, still-functional portion of his brain, Jean-Luc rejoiced that his body was able to respond so soon after their time on the holodeck; turning her down when she was dressed like this would have broken his heart. Still unable to speak, he pulled her closer with one hand on her hip whilst the other went to her hair to hold her head in place whilst he kissed her. She responded ferociously and Jean-Luc knew that this time would be fast and wild. The mind link formed and Jean-Luc lost the ability to think about anything other than Deanna and the arousal burning through his body. He helped her rip his clothes off and he yanked her jacket open then she was sinking down on him and he was pulling her hair and tugging her nipples. Deanna was digging her nails into his shoulders as she moved faster and faster until her climax hit and he followed her immediately. Jean-Luc cradled her in his arms and kissed her tenderly as he reflected on his incredible good luck.

Dean Rivers groaned as his alarm went off and then swore; he had fallen asleep straight after eating and now it was too late. He got himself ready mechanically and arrived in Sickbay ten minutes early. Doctor Selar handed over to him silently and he noticed how tired she looked. His clinically trained mind suggested that he should say something but what right did he have to say anything? He nodded silently to her and watched as she trudged out the door.

Selar entered her quarters and lay on the bed, releasing the iron control that she had enforced in Sickbay. After a few minutes, she began to shiver.

Jean-Luc was sat in his Ready Room when his communicator beeped,

'Riker to Picard.'

'Picard here.'

'I've got Doctor Rivers here, Captain. He'd like to see you, Sir.'

Jean-Luc noticed immediately that Will hadn't used any qualifying phrases, such as, 'if you've got time', which meant that Will thought that he should see Doctor Rivers immediately. Wondering why Dean Rivers wanted to see him rather than Beverly, Jean-Luc replied,

'Send him in, Number One.'

A few seconds later, Will ushered the young doctor inside. One look at Dean Rivers made it clear why Will had not attempted to delay him; he was clearly distraught. Standing up, Jean-Luc led Dean over to the seating area and said,

'Take a seat, doctor.'

Dean Rivers sat bolt upright on the edge of the sofa, his hands fidgeting with the padd that he was holding. Jean-Luc sat down opposite him and said,

'What can I do for you?'

Dean hesitated for several seconds before thrusting the padd towards the Captain, saying,

'I'm resigning my commission.'

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	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Fourteen

Jean-Luc looked at Dean Rivers in surprise, what could have happened to make the young man decide to resign? The career path for doctors in Starfleet was extremely onerous; it was very unusual for someone to resign so shortly after qualifying. Ignoring the padd, Jean-Luc said,

'Why?'

Dean looked down at his feet and said,

'I...I've made a terrible mistake.'

'Has something happened in Sickbay that I haven't heard about?'

'No. I mean, I should never have become a doctor.'

'What makes you say that?'

'I…I've recently discovered that I don't have the right temperament to be a doctor.'

'I'm afraid I don't understand. Your service record, the reports from Starfleet Medical and your psychological profile all indicate that you have the ideal temperament for a doctor. What's changed?'

'None of it's true…I'm not what people think I am.'

The last was said in a despairing whisper and Jean-Luc realised that Dean was on the verge of tears.

'What are you then?' he asked quietly.

'I'm… a monster.'

'A monster? Why?'

'I…I tortured Admiral Nechayev.'

'You tortured her? What do you mean? Did you do something other than prescribed treatment?'

'I..I..'

'Did you?' asked Jean-Luc sternly.

'No, but you don't understand!'

'What don't I understand? Explain it to me.'

'She was in so much pain and I just kept on doing it, again and again. Passing that wand over her body, hurting her deliberately.'

Dean was crying now and Jean-Luc watched with compassion but knew that he had to ask, he had to be sure,

'Did you at any point during Admiral Nechayev's treatment do anything that was not part of the treatment?'

'No.'

'Have you done anything since to hurt her?'

'No.'

'Doctor, what you did saved her life. If you hadn't treated her, she would have died.'

'I know but… I broke the Hippocratic Oath.'

'How?'

'It says, 'First do no harm'. I harmed her!'

'No, you didn't; you healed her. Admiral Nechayev agreed to the treatment even though she knew what it would entail. She wanted to live and you made that possible. I can't begin to imagine how terrible it must have been to do that treatment but doing your job does not make you a monster.'

'Doesn't it?'

'Not unless you enjoyed it. Did you?'

'No, I hated it.'

'Then you're not a monster and I'm not going to accept your resignation. I am, however, going to insist that you go for counselling, starting immediately.'

'Yes, Captain.'

Jean-Luc tapped his comm badge,

'Picard to Troi.'

'Troi here.'

'Can you come to my Ready Room as soon as possible, please.'

'Yes, Captain. Is it all right if I finish my current session?'

'Yes, Counsellor.'

'Thank you, Captain. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.'

'Picard out.'

Jean-Luc turned back to Dean, saying,

'You're on gamma shift at the moment, aren't you?'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Have you eaten since going off shift?'

'No, Sir.'

'What would you like?'

'I…I'm fine, Sir. I'll get something later.'

'How about a drink then? Hot chocolate?'

'Yes, please, Sir.'

Jean-Luc went to the replicator and ordered two hot chocolates. He rarely drank hot chocolate but he and Deanna had missed breakfast, opting for a quickie instead and he was feeling decidedly empty. He allowed Dean a few minutes to collect himself and then asked him a few questions about his last posting. By the time Deanna arrived, Dean was more composed but Jean-Luc was not surprised when Deanna zeroed in on Dean instantly; he was clearly still very upset. He quickly explained the situation to Deanna and she left with Dean.  
>Even after leaving Dean in Deanna's eminently capable hands, Jean-Luc was still uneasy. He paced for a while and then realised what the source of his unease was; Dean was not the only doctor to have treated Nechayev. He was about to comm Beverly when he realised that that wasn't the only thing bothering him; Sickbay were a close knit group and yet nobody had noticed how upset Dean was. As the newest doctor, the rest of the staff would normally have kept a close eye on Dean so what had happened? Frowning, Jean-Luc sat down at his desk and started doing some research. After about an hour he knew what the problem was and what he had to do. Sending a message to Lieutenant Matthews to come to his Ready Room as soon as possible, he reflected wryly that he was about to become very unpopular.<br>Five minutes later Sam Matthews arrived and Jean-Luc handed him a data padd with the information from his research on it, saying,

'Sit down, Lieutenant and give me your opinion on this.'

It took Sam twenty minutes to read through it and then he said,

'We need to deal with this immediately, Sir.'

'I concur.'

'I'll contact them all and suggest that we start group therapy sessions immediately.'

'And when Admiral Nechayev, Doctor Crusher and Doctor Selar refuse to participate?'

'Surely they won't?'

'Didn't Deanna brief you about Beverly?'

'Well, yes.'

'Trust me, she'll refuse and so will Doctor Selar, because Vulcans don't need counselling, and Admiral Nechayev has said in my hearing that she'd rather fight a pair of Naussicans bare-handed than go to counselling. No, we'll have to find a way to force them to participate. Unless you can think of another way to do it, I'll have to use my Captain's Command Prerogative.'

'I didn't think anyone ever used that.'

'In the whole of my time at Starfleet, I've never heard of it being used. If I'm very lucky I won't be Court Martialled for using it. And if I'm even luckier, Beverly will eventually forgive me.'

'I'll support you, Sir.'

'Thank you, Lieutenant. Would fourteen hundred hours in Sickbay be convenient for you?'

'Yes, Sir.'

'I'll notify everyone concerned. Dismissed.'

Lieutenant Matthews left, looking rather stunned, and Jean-Luc calmly completed the paperwork necessary to invoke the Captain's Command Prerogative. In essence, the Captain's Command Prerogative allowed him to issue binding commands in situations where he would normally only be able to make suggestions. It was a hang over from the time when Captain's could be out of contact with Starfleet for long periods of time and Jean-Luc had never imagined using it himself. However, he could see no other way of forcing Nechayev to participate. With a sigh, he hit send and then, deciding that he might as well let Beverly shout at him in person, he handed the Bridge over to Will and went down to Sickbay.

When he reached Sickbay, Jean-Luc found Beverly helping Nechayev back into bed after her physiotherapy session. Beverly smiled at him and he realised that she hadn't read his message yet. As Nechayev settled back into the bed, he also realised that the admiral had no routine access to her messages so he would have to tell her verbally. Gritting his teeth, he said,

'Admiral, Doctor, could I have a word?'

As he walked over to the bed he noticed Alyssa Ogawa hovering and said,

'You too please, Nurse Ogawa.'

When they were gathered beside Nechayev's bed, Jean-Luc took a deep breath and said,

'I've arranged for you all to start group counselling, beginning at fourteen hundred hours today.'

'What?'

'Why?'

Beverly and Nechayev spoke at the same time, both looking furious. Jean-Luc collected his thoughts, saying,

'I've sent you all a complete briefing but in summary, it's to help you all deal with the after effects of Admiral Nechayev's treatment.'

'That's unnecessary, I'm fine,' said Admiral Nechayev dismissively.

'Did Deanna put you up to this?' asked Beverly.

Jean-Luc saw the fire starting to build in Beverly's eyes and braced himself inwardly,

'No. I made the decision after researching the after effects of the treatment for Tobull's Disease.'

'You made the decision? On a medical matter? Without consulting me!'

'I consulted Lieutenant Matthews and he agrees with my decision.'

'You consulted a junior member of the counselling team? You didn't even discuss this with Deanna? Why not, Captain? Because you were afraid that she wouldn't agree with you?'

'I'd like to know the answer to that too.'

Jean-Luc turned towards the door as Deanna walked in. She was clearly annoyed, though much more controlled than Beverly. Jean-Luc made eye contact with her as he said,

'I didn't consult Counsellor Troi because she is one of the people affected. Both she and I will be joining the therapy sessions.'

'Why does the fact that I was affected mean that I couldn't be consulted?'

'The historical records show that medical staff that have been involved in the treatment are unable to make rational decisions about therapy and counselling because they're overwhelmed by what has happened.'

'Overwhelmed? Don't be ridiculous!' scoffed Beverly, 'My staff are highly trained professionals. We'll decide whether or not we need counselling.'

'Beverly, Dean Rivers tried to resign his commission today. Because of the treatment.'

Beverly looked shaken for a moment but stuck to her guns,

'He's very young. Of course it would affect him more. Deanna will take care of him. I'll ask the rest of the staff if they're all right and make sure that anyone who needs it gets counselling.'

'No, you won't. I've invoked Captain's Command Prerogative. Everyone who was involved with Admiral Nechayev's treatment will be at the counselling session at fourteen hundred hours along with Admiral Nechayev, Counsellor Troi and myself. Lieutenant Matthews will lead the sessions.'

Beverly looked at him in stunned disbelief, going white with anger. Her hands fisted at her sides and Jean-Luc braced himself to fend off an attack. However, Beverly somehow controlled herself, simply saying,

'You high-handed, arrogant son-of-a-bitch! How dare you!'

Beverly paused, for once at a loss for words, and Jean-Luc seized the opportunity to tell her what else he'd done,

'I've also temporarily moved Doctor Rivers and Doctor Selar on to alpha shift so that they can attend the counselling sessions. Please move any members of the nursing staff who you feel should be at the counselling sessions on to alpha shift too.'

'So you're rearranging my staff roster too? Why not go the whole hog and just replace me? Here! Take it!'

Beverly took off her lab coat and threw it at Jean-Luc then stormed into her office, slamming the door closed. Jean-Luc caught her coat automatically and stood looking at the closed door for a minute. He considered following Beverly but he knew from experience that he needed to let her calm down.

'You're a very brave man, Captain.'

Admiral Nechayev's voice was cold and precise and Jean-Luc wondered if he'd just ended his career. Forcing himself to make eye contact, he said,

'I apologise for the inconvenience, Admiral, but Starfleet's records clearly show vastly improved recovery rates for the medical staff involved when the patient attends the therapy sessions too.'

'Do you have the data?'

'Yes, Admiral. I attached a copy to the message. Nurse, please would you bring up Admiral Nechayev's messages.'

'Yes, Captain.'

Alyssa brought a terminal over to Admiral Nechayev's bed and she was soon reading the report. Jean-Luc relaxed slightly, hoping that she would accept the necessity of his actions. Turning to Deanna, he said,

'Please make reading the report a priority, Counsellor.'

'Aye, aye, Captain.'

He could tell that Deanna was still annoyed but he knew that she would obey him, not just because he outranked her but because of the many years of trust between them. Nodding to her, he folded Beverly's lab coat and put it on the end of one of the bio beds and went back to the Bridge to break the news to Will and Data.

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	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Fifteen

Jean-Luc called Will and Data into his Ready Room and once they had sat down he explained what he had done. Initially, Will thought that he was joking but eventually Jean-Luc convinced him that he had indeed invoked the Captain's Command Prerogative. Will looked at him with a mixture of incredulity and respect, saying,

'What made you decide that that was the only thing to do, Sir?'

'The reports from Starfleet Medical make it clear that the medical staff recover much more quickly if the patient is at the counselling sessions too. I couldn't think of a way to convince Admiral Nechayev to take part voluntarily. And I wasn't certain that I could convince Beverly or Selar to participate either.'

'Historical evidence would suggest that Dr Crusher and Dr Selar would have found excuses to avoid participation,' agreed Data.

'So you found a way to force them all to go to counselling. How did Beverly take it?'

'Furiously,' said Jean-Luc succinctly.

'And Admiral Nechayev?'

'Coldly. I think she's waiting before deciding whether or not to destroy my career.'

'Surely the fact that you were concerned for your crew's welfare will mitigate her anger?'

Jean-Luc and Will shared a sceptical glance at Data's naïve comment. Jean-Luc thought about it briefly before saying,

'Admiral Nechayev is a very logical thinker so she may be persuaded by the reports from Starfleet Medical. If she isn't, then she'll ground me.'

'And Beverly?'

'I'm hoping that Beverley will start talking to me again eventually.'

'She was that angry?'

'She felt that I had undermined her authority. And of course she was correct; I made an apparently arbitrary decision without consulting her or Deanna. I completely understood why she was angry; I would have been furious in her place.'

'You didn't discuss it with Deanna either?'

'No, Deanna felt Nechayev's pain until we left the ship. The report from Starfleet Medical was very clear; medical staff affected by the treatment ignored their own symptoms and refused to initiate counselling.'

'How did Deanna feel about being excluded?'

'Annoyed but I'm hopeful that she'll understand once she's read the report.'

'She is a lot more forgiving than Beverly,' said Will, wryly.

'Indeed,' said Jean-Luc, thinking that that was an understatement; she had given Will far more chances than most women would.

'Yes,' said Data, 'but Beverly is a very loyal friend too. I find it unlikely that she will withdraw from you permanently.'

'No, she'll be fine once she's found a way to punish you.'

Will was joking but Jean-Luc knew that there was an element of truth in what he said; if Beverly felt that he had transgressed too far, she would find a way to get her revenge. Sighing inwardly, he made a mental note to make sure that he was on time to any upcoming medical appointments.

Deanna arrived in Sickbay half an hour early for the counselling session. She had read the report from Starfleet Medical and wanted to know if Beverly had read it too. Beverly was treating a lieutenant from engineering with a cut hand so Deanna waited out of earshot for her to finish. Once the lieutenant had been sent off with strict instructions to be more careful next time, Deanna walked over to Beverly, saying,

'Hi.'

Beverly met Deanna's eyes but crossed her arms across her chest defensively. Deanna lowered her shields and reached out towards her friend; Beverly was feeling guilty and upset. Deanna smiled sympathetically at her but Beverly just glowered saying,

'I need to get on, Deanna.'

'That's all right, we can talk whilst you work.'

The glower transformed into a glare but Deanna met Beverly's eyes steadily, refusing to back down. Beverly grimaced but said,

'Fine. Want a coffee?'

Deanna followed Beverly into her office and waited whilst Beverly got their drinks. Once they were sitting down, Deanna said,

'How are you feeling?'

'Like an idiot,' said Beverly ruefully, 'I lost my temper with Jean-Luc when all he was trying to do was to help us.'

'You've read the report then?'

'Yes and now I feel like a horse's ass. I'm the Chief Medical Officer, I'm supposed to be on top of things like this. I knew that the medical staff ought to have counselling yet I pretended that everything was all right. I've read that report before, Deanna, yet I just ignored its existence. Instead, Jean-Luc had to step in.'

'I ignored the report too, Beverly. I knew it existed although I'd never read it before today. As lead counsellor, it was my duty to read that report and take action but I didn't. And I ignored Jean-Luc when he asked me to check on you yesterday.

'Yesterday? Why did he want you to check on me yesterday?'

'He felt that you weren't quite your usual self at breakfast. He asked me to see if you were all right but I forgot. I've never done that before. The fact is Beverly we're none of us up to par. The treatment has affected all of us and that's why we need the counselling.'

'So Jean-Luc had to use his Captain's Command Prerogative and I reacted by calling him a high-handed, arrogant, son-of-a-bitch.'

'You called him that?'

'Yes.'

Deanna felt the guilt streaming from Beverly and hastened to reassure her,

'I'm sure he'll survive. I've no doubt that he's been called much worse.'

'Undoubtedly, but the fact remains that I owe him an apology and as you know…'

'You hate apologising.'

'Yes.'

Deanna smiled at her and said,

'Most people do. It's normal to dislike having to admit that you made a mistake.'

Beverly smiled ruefully, saying,

'At least Jean-Luc won't crow.'

'No, that isn't one of his faults.'

Beverly was feeling a lot less guilty so Deanna steered the conversation away from their upcoming counselling session until a gentle beep from the chronometer reminded them that it was about to start.

'Shall we?' said Deanna.

'Why not? After all, I wouldn't rather scrub the shuttlecraft bay with a toothbrush or anything.'

Jean-Luc and Dean were already waiting in main Sickbay and as Beverly and Deanna walked across the room, Selar and Sam came in. Alyssa finished what she was doing and joined them, helping Admiral Nechayev over. Sam arranged chairs in a circle and they all sat down. Sam cleared his throat nervously and said,

'Reports from Starfleet and Tobull VIII suggest that these group counselling sessions are most effective when they're informal so I'm going to suggest that we all use our forenames during these sessions and that we try to keep the discussion as open as possible. I'll only intervene if we've strayed too far from the topic or if the discussion has become inappropriate. For anyone who hasn't met me, my name is Sam. Now I'd like to start by asking how you all felt during the treatment.'

There was silence for a moment and Jean-Luc realised that everyone was feeling reluctant to expose them selves. Gritting his teeth, he said,

'I felt helpless. Deanna was in pain and I couldn't help her.'

There was a slight easing of tension and Deanna said,

'I felt like a failure. We had to leave the ship just so I could function. What use is a counsellor who can't even stand to be on the ship?'

'I felt like a coward,' said Beverly.

'A coward?' asked Deanna.

'Yes, because I deliberately stopped myself from thinking about what I was doing. When Selar or Dean were doing the treatment I would force myself to think about happy things so I didn't have to think about what I was doing.'

'I…I just felt…wrong,' said Alyssa, 'As though I'd slipped through to a different dimension or something.'

There was a brief moment's silence then Sam said,

'How did you feel, Selar?'

'I am a Vulcan, I did not feel anything.'

'Selar, you know that's not true,' said Deanna, 'Controlling your emotions does not mean that you don't have them.'

'True, however since I do have complete control of my emotions there is no need for me to discuss them. In fact, as I have explained before, Vulcan's do not need counselling; we resolve any issues through meditation. If you will excuse me, Lieutenant, I will go to my office and work.'

As she said this, Selar stood and pushed her chair out of the way. Jean-Luc stood as well, saying,

'Sit down, doctor. These sessions are mandatory.'

'They are unnecessary. I have work to do.'

'Selar, you will attend these sessions or you will go to the brig. Do you understand me?'

'Your meaning is perfectly clear, Captain. Since you give me no choice, I will attend the counselling sessions.'

Selar sat back down, giving Jean-Luc the closest to a ferocious glare that he had ever seen on a Vulcan's face and Jean-Luc knew then that his suspicions were justified.

Once Jean-Luc had sat down again, Sam turned to Dean and asked,

'How did it make you feel?'

'Like a monster. Every time I saw the pain on the Admiral's face, I felt evil.'

There was a second of silence then Alynna said,

'I felt grateful.'

'Grateful?' asked Dean incredulously.

'Yes. Grateful that Beverly had made the diagnosis, grateful that you were treating me and grateful that I was going to live.'

'But you were in so much pain.'

Alynna made eye contact with Dean as she said,

'Yes it hurt like the blazes but I chose to have the treatment because I wanted to live. I could see what it cost you, what it cost all of you, to treat me. I could see the pain on all of your faces as you treated me and I felt grateful that you would put my needs above your own.'

'But we're doctors…'

Alynna smiled at the innocent bewilderment in Dean's voice,

'Yes, so you twisted your own psyches into knots saving my life. I could have chosen not to have the treatment, you know. When Beverly told me what the treatment was, I could have told her that I just wanted half an hour to send a message to my family in case it didn't work, gone back to my cabin and used my phaser on myself. I didn't because I like living and forty-eight hours of pain is an acceptable price to pay for the opportunity to live for many more years.'

'I…I hadn't thought of it like that,' said Dean, clearly struggling with Alynna's stoic acceptance of pain as the price of living.

Looking round, Jean-Luc realised that most of the medical staff were struggling to understand her point of view because for them pain was the enemy to be defeated at every turn, never allowed or accepted. Meeting Alynna's eyes, Jean-Luc felt a brief moment of perfect communion, sometimes pain was the price you had to pay to come out the other side alive.

'Well you should. You are not a monster,' continued Alynna vehemently, making Dean meet her eyes again, 'None of you are. Nor are you cowards or failures or anything else. You had a nasty job to do and you did it well.'

Dean smiled hesitantly and the tension in the room lessened further and Jean-Luc knew then that he had been right to force Nechayev to participate, regardless of the consequences to him.

Sam checked his chronometer and said,

'We're almost out of time and that seems a good place to end…'

'One moment please, Sam,' said Jean-Luc.

'Yes, Cap…I mean. Jean-Luc?'

'Selar, when did you last eat?'

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	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Author's note: Telepathic communication is shown using *.

Chapter Sixteen

Everyone turned to look at Selar and Jean-Luc noticed Beverly's eyes narrowing as she made a rapid assessment of Selar's physical condition. Selar looked at the floor as she said,

'I replicated a meal yesterday.'

'Did you eat any of it,' asked Jean-Luc relentlessly.

'No.'

Blessing Vulcan social conditioning for making it virtually impossible for Vulcans to lie outright for personal reasons, Jean-Luc said gently,

'When did you last eat?'

'Four days ago. However, there is no reason for you to be concerned Cap… Jean-Luc, I am merely undergoing a fasting ritual.'

'For what reason?'

'I… In order to cleanse myself.'

'Why do you need to cleanse yourself?'

'Personal reasons,' said Selar, refusing to meet Jean-Luc's eyes.

'These personal reasons wouldn't be to do with Alynna's treatment, would they?'

Selar looked at him helplessly and in any other circumstance Jean-Luc would have felt very guilty. However on this occasion he felt no guilt at all. Keeping his voice calm and quiet he said,

'The study from Starfleet Medical is very clear about the effect on telepathic medical staff of carrying out the treatment for Tobull's Disease; almost all of the telepaths involved committed suicide.'

'Vulcans do not commit suicide. As you know, Jean-Luc, there is no word for suicide in Vulcan.'

'That is true but irrelevant. There are five instances of Vulcans treating people with Tobull's Disease. In each case, they took measures that were extremely detrimental to their health such as stopping eating or drinking. Three of them died before their colleagues realised what they were doing. You are too valuable to us all, both professionally and personally, for us to lose you, Selar. Please start eating again.'

'I… I…'

Selar's eyes remained firmly fixed on the floor so she didn't see Beverly and Deanna coming towards her until it was too late to avoid their hugs. Deanna deliberately lowered her shields so that Selar would be able to read her thoughts, cleared her mind and thought,

*You are my friend and I love you. *

*How can you love me; I'm worthless *

*You're not worthless *

Deanna deliberately filled her mind with thoughts of the countless times that Selar had healed people, saved lives and comforted her crewmates. Because of her weakened state Selar's shields had crumbled the instant that Deanna and Beverly had touched her and she was unable to pretend that she could not read Deanna's thoughts, particularly since Beverly thoughts, whilst unfocused, displayed the same mixture of love and concern. The sudden surge of emotion was too much and Selar covered her face with her hands as she tried to control herself. Seeing that Selar was on the verge of tears Beverly and Deanna led her into a side ward, exchanging deeply troubled looks. Deanna sat on the bio bed next to her, linking arms with her so that they maintained telepathic contact, whilst Beverly went to the replicator and ordered a small mug of nutrient-rich Vulcan soup. Selar took the soup and started to sip it slowly, making no attempt to pull her arm away from Deanna. Deanna deliberately left her shields down, leaving herself open to Selar. Selar would know that Deanna was reading her emotions but by remaining in physical contact with Selar, she gave Selar the opportunity to read her thoughts. It left her completely vulnerable and there weren't many people that Deanna trusted enough to allow it but she wanted Selar to know how much she cared about her. Selar's emotions were chaotic as confusion, fear and hopelessness competed with the love she felt for her friends. Deanna concentrated on thinking about all of the positive experiences that they had had together and after a few minutes she felt Selar's emotions slowly becoming more positive. With her shields down, Deanna could read Beverly's emotions as well and Beverly's mind was in a tumult too, with guilt and anxiety predominating. Deanna shifted into a more comfortable position; they were going to be here for a while.

Jean-Luc looked after Deanna, Beverly and Selar with concern but made no attempt to follow them; it was a medical matter now and he trusted Beverly and Deanna to keep him briefed. Sam stood, signalling the official end to the counselling session and they all followed suit. Alyssa looked anxiously towards the side ward but helped Nechayev back to her bio bed then went to the nurse's station. Jean-Luc turned to Dean saying,

'Doctor?'

'Yes, Captain?'

'I know that you haven't had a chance to get any sleep but would you be able to cover Sickbay for a few minutes?'

'Yes, Captain.'

Jean-Luc noticed with relief that Dean's voice was calm and professional and he went over to check Nechayev's bio bed readout without any hesitation. Jean-Luc nodded at Sam and was about to leave when Nechayev said,

'Captain, could I have a word?'

'Yes, Admiral.'

'Since I'm not going to be disembarking at Starbase Eighty-one, you'll need to have a studio prepared for my husband.'

'Your husband?'

'Yes, he's rendezvousing with us at Starbase Eighty-one. He'll need somewhere to paint. My aide will be able to tell you how much of his equipment he'll have with him.'

'Yes, Admiral. Do you know what his requirements are?'

'Somewhere large with a replicator, a few seats and adjustable lighting.'

'Understood.'

'Also, could you send my aide in; I need to catch up on some work.'

Extremely grateful that he'd asked Dean to stay, Jean-Luc looked over at him and said,

'Doctor?'

'Doctor Crusher has cleared you for half an hour of non-physical work today, Admiral.'

'That's ridiculous, my mind's fine. I need to do several hours work today.'

'I'm afraid that you'll have to take that up with Doctor Crusher, Admiral,' replied Dean calmly.

Nechayev started to stare him down and Jean-Luc braced himself to interfere but after a few seconds Nechayev said,

'I will. In the meantime, Captain, please explain to my aide that we only have half an hour.'

'Yes, Admiral.'

Once outside Sickbay Jean-Luc tapped his comm badge,

'Picard to T'lim.'

'T'lim here, Captain.'

'Admiral Nechayev has been cleared to do half an hour's non-physical work so please can you go to Sickbay as soon as possible.'

'Aye, aye, Captain.'

'The admiral asked me to emphasise the limited time available.'

'Understood, Captain.'

'Once the admiral has dismissed you, please report to Commander Data.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Picard out.'

Jean-Luc returned to the Bridge and having received a status update from Will, asked Data to join him in his Ready Room.

'Sit down, Data.'

'Thank you, Sir.'

'I need you to liase with Lieutenant T'lim regarding Admiral Nechayev's husband.'

'Admiral Nechayev's husband, Sir?'

'Yes. He's arriving at Starbase Eighty-one shortly after us and since Admiral Nechayev is no longer disembarking there, he will be joining the Enterprise. He's an artist and will need a studio.'

'I see, Sir.'

'He paints. I don't know if you've come across any of his work?'

'Bill Nechayev?'

'Yes.'

'Yes, I find his work fascinating. He has a unique, almost chaotic style. I look forward to meeting him, Sir.'

'Anything I should know about him?'

Data's face went blank for a second as he accessed his memories,

'According to Starfleet records, Bill Nechayev has been apprehended by Starfleet Security on forty-eight different occasions.'

'Forty-eight different occasions? That's an impressive number for a civilian. What for?'

'Mostly trivial offences; once he tried to climb the walls of Starfleet Headquarters so that he could give Admiral Nechayev a surprise birthday present. Starfleet Security thought that it was an assassination attempt and stunned him. He has tried to get into Top Secret meetings on seventeen different occasions, each time to try to see Admiral Nechayev. He was intoxicated on fifteen of those occasions.'

'And the other two occasions?'

'Were genuine family emergencies. Admiral Nechayev fired the aides who refused to put his comm through.'

'So when he's drunk, he wants to be with Nechayev. That shouldn't be a problem since she won't be having Top Secret meetings for the next few weeks anyway. Anything else?'

'The rest of the problems pertain to his inability to follow regulations. Since, he is not a member of Starfleet, he refuses to view any of Starfleet's regulations as binding on him.'

'Even though he's married to an admiral?'

'Yes, Sir. He maintains that his wife's profession should not restrict his freedom. The courts have twice agreed with him, forcing Starfleet to change their policy on each occasion. Starfleet Security have not brought any charges since the second occasion.'

'I'm sure they haven't.'

Jean-Luc thought for a second, then said,

'I have no desire to restrict his freedom whilst he's on the Enterprise. However, it is necessary that he follow safety protocols. Data, I'm going to leave it to you to explain the safety procedures to him. If necessary, explain the reasons behind them, he may have no knowledge of the workings of a starship. He also needs to understand that the crew have jobs to do and can't be interrupted when on shift except for an emergency.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'And Data, be tactful. Remember that he is a civilian and he's probably been very worried about his wife.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'Has Will tried to find out about his surprise party yet?'

'No. However, he has invited me to spend the evening with him in Ten Forward this evening. I anticipate that he will attempt to trick me into revealing the details then.'

'Undoubtedly. I rely on you not to let anything slip.'

'I will be on my guard, Sir.'

'Excellent. Dismissed.'

Jean-Luc smiled at the thought of the huge party being planned for Will. He just hoped that they could stop him from finding out the details. Perhaps he should recruit Beverly and Deanna to organise some interference? Making a mental note to bring it up the next time that he saw either of them, Jean-Luc started going through the service records of potential First Officers.

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	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Seventeen

Deanna looked at her friends with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. For a few minutes they had talked freely about how they were feeling but they were already clamming up. Selar had the excuse that she was fighting her social conditioning; it was a measure of how badly she had been affected that she had said anything at all. Beverly, however, had no such excuse and was just being her usual frustrating self. Even as she thought it, Deanna knew that she was being unfair; Beverly still had major issues from her childhood that made it very hard for her to open up in counselling. Taking a deep breath, Deanna centred herself then said sarcastically,

'So the line that you're both intending to take is that you've suffered minor effects from the treatment but don't need to talk about it?'

Beverly looked slightly surprised by Deanna's sarcasm but responded blandly,

'I couldn't have phrased it better myself. Don't you agree, Selar?'

'Completely.'

'Then you're going to find your compulsory counselling sessions a wonderful opportunity to talk about the weather.'

'You wouldn't! We're already in compulsory group counselling; isn't that enough?' said Beverly.

Deanna held Beverly's gaze steadily, saying,

'I don't think that the group counselling alone will be sufficient.'

'What is required to avoid it?' asked Selar.

'Six sessions of voluntary counselling where you genuinely try to discuss your feelings.'

Selar and Beverly both glared at Deanna but she refused to back down and eventually Selar said,

'Agreed.'

'I'm already attending voluntary counselling,' pointed out Beverly.

'Yes but I need a commitment from you to continue.'

Beverly gave her a quizzical look but Deanna knew that there was a serious risk that Beverly would suppress the latest trauma if given a chance to avoid talking about it, so she needed Beverly's agreement.

'Okay,' said Beverly slowly, biting back a sarcastic comment about Deanna's definition of 'voluntary'. She knew that Deanna only wanted to help her but she really hated counselling.

Deanna relaxed and the conversation turned to practical matters.

Jean-Luc was preparing to go off-shift when the chime to his Ready Room sounded.

'Enter.'

Beverly came in and Jean-Luc immediately came out from behind his desk and ushered her to the seating area, saying,

'Sit down, Beverly. What would you like to drink?'

'Just some water, please.'

Jean-Luc fetched water for Beverly and Earl Grey tea for himself, then sat down beside Beverly and said,

'How's Selar?'

'Going to be all right, I think. She's had some soup and a sandwich and she's on a nutrient drip so the immediate crisis is over. Deanna's going to stay with her tonight.'

Jean-Luc nodded; he would have been amazed if Deanna had left Selar tonight.

'And in the long term?'

'I'll keep a close eye on her and so will Deanna.'

'Good. Is there anything I can do to help? Do we need to go to Vulcan so Selar can receive treatment from a mind healer?'

'I don't know if that will be necessary. Deanna got Selar to agree to voluntary counselling; that may be enough.'

'Selar must be feeling very upset if she agreed to counselling.'

'Deanna didn't really give her any choice,' said Beverly brusquely.

'Oh? Did she encourage you to volunteer for more counselling too?'

'Is it that obvious?'

'Yes. You seem angry about it.'

'I am, which is petty and immature of me… Almost as petty and immature as my reaction towards you earlier. I'm sorry, Jean-Luc.'

'It's all right, Beverly. It wasn't your fault.'

'Wasn't it? I didn't listen to you and I lost my temper. How is that not my fault?'

'Yes, you did but the circumstances were unusual and you're not your normal self, Beverly. Normally, you would have read the report before reacting.'

'I suppose so.'

'I know so. Yes, you've got a temper and you've lost it with me on several occasions but never without first finding out the facts. You like to be able to flay me with your superior knowledge.'

Jean-Luc smiled to take the sting out of his last remark and Beverly responded with a wry smile. It was true; she liked to arm herself with as much information as possible so that she would win arguments. Sighing, Beverly relaxed back into the sofa,

'Thank you, Jean-Luc, for being so understanding.'

'You're welcome and I am sorry about implementing the Captain's Command Prerogative without forewarning you; I was worried that Admiral Nechayev would get wind of it.'

'And try and forestall it?'

'Yes.'

'She seemed surprisingly accepting of it, actually.'

'I think she was shocked by how badly you were all affected by it. I was horrified when I read the report.'

'If she tries to destroy your career, I'll support you.'

'Thank you, Beverly.'

Touched, Jean-Luc pulled Beverly into his arms and hugged her. They hugged for a few seconds and Jean-Luc was reassured to realise that although the buzz of body chemistry was still there, he no longer felt the familiar pain of unrequited love when he held her.

Deanna sent her excuses to the morning briefing so it wasn't until the counselling session the following afternoon that Jean-Luc saw her. As she walked towards him, it took all of his self-control to avoid touching her and he felt arousal surging through his body. Deanna flushed as Jean-Luc's arousal pushed past her shields and she deliberately sat as far away from him as she could, reinforcing her shields as she walked across the room.

Once they were all sitting down, Sam said,

'Today I'd like to discuss how you were all affected by Alynna's treatment. Perhaps we could start with you, Selar?'

Selar shot Sam a look of haughty displeasure, which was more reassuring to her friends than any number of words could have been; she was clearly feeling much better. Calmly, Selar said,

'I was unable to reach a meditative state and as a result, behaved in an illogical manner.'

'Were you able to meditate last night?' asked Sam.

'Yes…with Deanna's assistance.'

The last part was said whilst looking at the floor and it was clear that Selar was embarrassed by her perceived failure.

'Minimal assistance,' said Deanna gently, 'I merely joined in with your centring exercise. You achieved a meditative state on your own.'

'Nevertheless, I required assistance.'

'Everyone needs help sometimes,' said Jean-Luc, 'It's part of being a sentient being, well, for both of our species it is.'

Selar looked unconvinced and Deanna knew that one of the things that they would have to address in Selar's counselling sessions was her belief that it was wrong to need help maintaining her mental health.

'How were you affected, Beverly?' asked Sam.

'I've been finding it hard to control my emotions,' admitted Beverly, 'particularly my temper.'

'Anything else?'

'No, but believe me, Sam, if you worked in main Sickbay, you'd find that enough.'

Beverly's dry humour brought smiles to everyone's faces and Deanna felt the tension in the room lessening dramatically as Beverly continued,

'So if you've found yourself on the wrong end of my tongue undeservedly at some point over the last few days, I apologise.'

There was a murmur of acknowledgement along with a few humorous remarks and Jean-Luc was pleased to see how good the medical staff's morale was.

'How about you, Deanna? How were you affected?'

Deanna hesitated before saying,

'I deliberately avoided talking about it and did everything I could to avoid thinking about it. I'm sorry, Jean-Luc.'

'What for?'

'I've been using you.'

'Using me? How?'

'I've been seducing you to distract myself. Can you forgive me?'

Jean-Luc gaped at her blankly for a second before bursting out laughing. His amusement ended abruptly when he realised that Deanna was furious with him. She had got out of her seat and was standing in front of him shouting,

'Don't laugh at me!'

Sobering rapidly, Jean-Luc carefully said,

'I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at the idea that I needed to forgive you.'

'Because I'm just a pretty little thing whose opinions don't matter?'

'No, of course not!'

'So you don't think I need forgiveness? Why? Because it's not important?'

'Well, no, not really.'

Even as he said it, Jean-Luc knew that it was the wrong answer but why on Earth would he need to forgive Deanna for seducing him? Frankly, he found it hard to believe that she still wanted him but whilst she did, he was going to do his best to be ready and able whenever she wanted sex.

'Not important! How can you say that? Don't you care about our relationship at all?'

'What? Of course I do. Deanna…'

'How can you when you push aside something so important?'

'What? Deanna, what is so important about the fact that we've been having extra sex every night?'

'You're impossible! I…'

'Excuse me? Deanna, Jean-Luc?'

Dean's polite interruption took everyone by surprise. Reminded of their audience, Jean-Luc said curtly,

'What?'

'I…I think you're having a cultural misunderstanding.'

'A cultural misunderstanding?' said Jean-Luc blankly.

'Yes. Deanna, you were brought up on Betazed, weren't you?'

'Yes. Why?'

'My roommate at Starfleet Medical was Betazoid and he was horrified by human attitudes towards sexual permission. He found them far too relaxed and presumptuous. For Betazoids anything except explicit permission is repulsive. I think that may be why Deanna's so angry.'

'You think that you shouldn't have seduced me?' asked Jean-Luc, dumbfounded.

'No, it isn't that. Well, not exactly.'

'What then?'

'I may have used the bond to arouse you. If I did then…'

Deanna's eyes were haunted and Jean-Luc hastened to reassure her,

'No, you didn't.'

'How would you know, Jean-Luc? The stimulation would be directly to the brain.'

'I would know…'

'Jean-Luc?'

'The Borg use direct stimulation of the pleasure centres of the brain to reward 'correct' behaviour. I know what it feels like to be aroused against your will.'

Jean-Luc suppressed a shudder and locked eyes with Deanna as he continued,

'You've never done that.'

'So, you haven't felt coerced in any way?'

'No, not at all. Delighted, mainly.'

'Oh.'

Deanna was blushing slightly and Jean-Luc felt his arousal start to build again as he ran his eyes over her body. Forcing his brain back to the matter at hand, he said,

'Deanna, I laughed because you're so sexy that the idea of you needing to apologise for seducing me is absurd.'

'Really?'

'Yes.'

Jean-Luc wanted to elaborate but he was painfully aware of their audience, all of whom were listening avidly.  
>Deanna noticed Jean-Luc's eyes flicking round the circle and realised how uncomfortable he was discussing something so private in front of an audience. Standing on tiptoe, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, saying,<p>

'Thank you.'

The instant Deanna touched him, arousal swept through Jean-Luc's body and without a moment's thought, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

**Please review. Thanks.**


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Eighteen

Beverly watched her best friends kissing with amused interest, waiting for Jean-Luc to realise that they had an audience and recoil in horror. A couple of minutes later, watching Jean-Luc undoing Deanna's jacket with one hand whilst running his other hand through her hair, Beverly concluded that she might have underestimated the effect of the Betazoid mind bond. Normally, Jean-Luc was totally aware of his surroundings but it was clear that he had completely forgotten where he was. When Deanna pushed Jean-Luc's jacket off and started to push his undershirt up, Beverley reluctantly decided that it was time to take action. Clearing her throat loudly, she said,

'Jean-Luc, Deanna, you need to stop.'

For a moment she thought that Jean-Luc had heard her as he pulled away from Deanna. However, a few seconds later, his undershirt was on the floor along with Deanna's jacket and undershirt and they were kissing and caressing each other again. Cursing under her breath, Beverly said,

'Anyone got any cold water?'

'No, but I think I've got the next best thing,' said Alynna dryly.

Standing up, Alynna took a deep breath and shouted,

'Captain, Commander, report!'

Jean-Luc and Deanna jumped apart and came to attention, looking disorientated. Jean-Luc blinked rapidly for a few seconds then blushed as he realised that not only had he and Deanna had started undressing each other in front of an audience but he was visibly aroused in front of an admiral,

'Admiral…I apologise…'

'At ease, Jean-Luc. I thought that you might prefer to continue in private.'

'Continue?' asked Jean-Luc, confused. They were in the middle of alpha shift's afternoon; he and Deanna needed to get back to work.

Alynna bit back her amusement at Jean-Luc's confusion. Betazoid bonds were very rare and she'd only seen one other in operation in all her time in Starfleet but she could tell that Jean-Luc wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. Deanna was standing to attention as well but her mind was definitely elsewhere too. Probably somewhere more fun and involving fewer clothes. Taking pity on them both, Alynna said,

'It is my opinion that Starfleet Regulation T107 applies to this situation.'

'It does?'

'Jean-Luc, it's obvious to everyone here that your bond has formed. Take a break. Return to duty when you are able. Both of you.'

'Yes, Admiral.'

Still slightly confused, Jean-Luc and Deanna started to walk away only to be stopped by Selar saying,

'You may wish to replace your clothing first.'

Embarrassed, Jean-Luc pulled on his undershirt but kept his jacket over his arm to prevent everyone they passed from knowing how aroused he was. Deanna put on both her undershirt and jacket but didn't bother to re-fasten her jacket. Once they were dressed, Beverly said,

'Are you taking separate turbolifts or shall I let the Bridge know that you'll be taking one offline?'

Deeply embarrassed, Jean-Luc was about to make a furious reply when Deanna casually said,

'No, I don't do sex in turbolifts; it's too uncomfortable.'

Seeing Beverly's disappointment at Deanna's relaxed reply, Jean-Luc reminded himself not to rise to her teasing. Particularly since there was going to be an awful lot of it over the next few weeks after what had just happened.

Jean-Luc followed Deanna out of Sickbay feeling both aroused and embarrassed. Once they were in the turbolift, Deanna's proximity drove all thoughts of embarrassment from his mind and Jean-Luc concentrated on not ripping her clothes off and pinning her to the wall. He could tell by Deanna's expression that she was struggling too and he desperately started running though Latin verbs in his mind to try to distract himself. By the time the turbolift stopped, Jean-Luc was shaking with the effort of controlling himself and he led the way to his quarters at a jog.  
>He barely managed to wait for the doors to close before pushing Deanna against the wall. Their bond re-formed and the surge of arousal was so intense that Deanna climaxed immediately. She came down from her high to find Jean-Luc yanking impatiently at his clothes, tearing them off and throwing them on the floor. Deanna quickly added her clothes to the pile on the floor and within a few seconds they were touching each other again, this time without any clothes in the way. Jean-Luc was so aroused that it was almost painful so Deanna took control, pushing him gently to the floor and getting him to lie on his back so she could impale herself on him. Their mind link intensified and Deanna could no longer tell whose emotions she was feeling, all she was aware of was overwhelming arousal and she climaxed again and again until she felt a white-hot surge of pleasure going through them both as Jean-Luc came.<br>They lay together on the floor panting harshly as they tried to get their breath back. After a few minutes Jean-Luc's embarrassment returned and Deanna asked,

'Why does it bother you so much?'

'Why does what bother me?'

'Kissing me in front of the others.'

Jean-Luc thought about it before replying,

'It isn't kissing you that bothers me; it's losing track of where we were and losing control in front of a group of colleagues. Doesn't it bother you?'

'A bit but being out of control doesn't bother me the way it does you.'

'No, you're nowhere near as much of a control freak as I am.'

'You're not a control freak, Jean-Luc. You like to be in control of your own life but you're not controlling towards others, well, not outside of work.'

'Thank you, I think.'

Turning the events of the last few minutes of the counselling session over in his mind he asked,

'Will you get teased a lot? About what happened?'

'No, they'll get bored quickly when they realise that kissing you in public doesn't embarrass me.'

'And undressing me?'

'That's not a problem for me. Nudity is not considered significant on Betazed.'

'Does it bother you that I'm more inhibited than you about things like that?'

'No. I would find it difficult to understand if you were inhibited about nudity when we were in private but your views about nudity are well within the norms for humans.'

'Yes, but not for Betazoids.'

'True but I'm only half Betazoid and we're both constrained by Starfleet's requirements whilst on board ship anyway.'

'And if we were off ship, on Risa, say?'

'Then I hope we'd have a really good time. Jean-Luc, I don't need you to be something you're not.'

'No, I know but I don't want you to be something you're not either.'

'I know. Jean-Luc we just need to be honest with each other if we feel uncomfortable.'

Jean-Luc nodded, thinking that it was an easy promise for him to make since Deanna would sense it if he were feeling uncomfortable. Jean-Luc paused for a moment then continued hesitantly,

'When you were angry, you accused me of not taking you seriously, is that how you really feel?'

Deanna hesitated in turn before saying,

'I was being unfair, you've never treated me as anything other than an equal.'

'But you're worried that I will?'

'Not consciously but it's clear that I still have some lingering insecurities about being taken seriously, which are being brought out by our relationship.'

'Because of our age difference or because I'm the Captain?'

'It could be either of those or neither.'

'Neither?'

'You know how over-protective my mother is?'

'Yes.'

'She used to be much worse and one of the things she used to do was to trivialise anything she didn't want me to do.'

'So you got used to having your ideas belittled?'

'Yes. I've got a lot better over the last few years but…'

'But there's still a lingering worry.'

'Yes.'

'Well you know how many insecurities I have, you've helped me deal with most of them.'

Deanna smiled warmly at Jean-Luc and kissed him gently,

'And I obviously need to talk to Sam about this one.'

'Let me know if there's anything I can do.'

'You'd come to joint counselling with me?' said Deanna teasingly.

'If it were absolutely necessary,' said Jean-Luc straight-faced, knowing that Deanna could read the humour underneath.

Deanna giggled, then sighed, saying,

'We should shower and get back to work.'

They picked themselves up from the floor and went through to the bathroom together.

Beverly paused her dance programme as Data's voice came over the communications system,

'All hands, all hands, prepare for docking manoeuvres.'

Since they were docking with a modern starbase, Data's warning was mostly a pro forma. However, Beverly switched to bar exercises just in case, not wanting to end up falling if the docking manoeuvre was less than smooth. This time, there were no jolts or jerks, just a brief moment of transition as the ship joined the docking port at Starbase 81. A few minutes later, Data gave the all clear and Beverly resumed her routine. She was in the middle of a new tap routine when her comm badge sounded,

'Selar to Crusher.'

Sighing, Beverly stopped and tapped her badge,

'Crusher here.'

'I apologise for disturbing you, Doctor, but your presence is needed in Sickbay.'

'On my way.'

Towelling off her face and neck, Beverly closed her programme and went to the turbolift. Selar's wording made it clear that it wasn't an emergency so Beverly spent the journey wondering what had prompted her to call for assistance. Walking into Sickbay, she found Selar nervously watching a strange man who was sitting on the edge on Admiral Nechayev's bio bed. Moving closer, she saw that Nechayev was looking slightly embarrassed but somehow pleased too. Turning to Selar, Beverly said,

'Report.'

'This is Mister Nechayev. He insists on sitting on Admiral Nechayev's bio bed even though I have explained that it affects the readings and is against Starfleet regulations.'

'Understood. I'll take it from here, Doctor.'

Beverly walked over to the bio bed, held out her hand and said,

'Hello, I'm Doctor Crusher, Chief Medical Officer.'

'Bill Nechayev.'

They shook hands and Beverly blinked as he smiled at her and she felt the full force of his charisma. Shaking off the effects of his smile, Beverly smiled back and said,

'Please get off the bio bed, it interferes with the readings.'

'I know, Doctor Selar said.'

This was said with bland indifference and Beverly felt her temper start to rise. Firmly pushing it down she said,

'Your wife has been seriously ill, we need to accurately monitor her vital signs.'

'But she's better now…isn't she?'

'Not entirely.'

'Not entirely? But…'

White-faced, Bill Nechayev slipped off the edge of the bio bed and stood facing Beverly with an imploring expression on his face.

'Come into my office and I'll explain. Do you want to join us, Admiral?'

'No.'

Beverly led Bill Nechayev into her office and explained about the lingering effects of Tobull's Disease.

'But she's going to be all right?'

'Yes, she may need some surgery on her eyes in a few months time but otherwise, the indications are that she will make a full recovery.'

'But she's got temporary nerve damage?'

Bill Nechayev looked shell-shocked so Beverly took him through it all again, explaining as clearly as she could. After she had finished, Bill sat there shaking his head,

'I just assumed that since she'd been treated that she was fine. No wonder Doctor Selar wanted me to get off the bio bed.'

'Why did you ignore her?'

'I just assumed it was some arbitrary Starfleet regulation.'

'Even after she explained?'

Bill Nechayev looked embarrassed as he admitted,

'I wasn't really listening, I was too busy looking at Alynna.'

Whilst finding Bill Nechayev's love for his wife endearing, Beverly was determined to make sure that he didn't make her staff's lives hell. Looking thoughtfully at him, she said,

'I'm not concerned about Starfleet regulations; my aim is to save lives. I need you to promise to obey my staff when it comes to medical matters.'

'Agreed.'

'Good. Do you have any questions?'

'Yes. When can Alynna and I have sex?'

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	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Nineteen

Beverly blinked and bit back a harsh retort; his wife was recovering from a life-threatening illness and he wanted to know when they could have sex! Reminding herself that Bill Nechayev had no understanding of medicine and that she didn't know how long it was since he'd last seen his wife, she said,

'Not for a while. Anything that provides extra stimulation to the nervous system needs to be avoided for at least another eleven days.'

Looking shocked, Bill said,

'No, I didn't mean that…'

Beverly looked at him curiously as he floundered,

'You must think that I'm a selfish idiot. I didn't mean how long until it was physically possible, I meant how long until Alynna will be able to orgasm? She will orgasm again, won't she? Once the nerve damage is repaired?'

Beverly's brow cleared as she realised what Bill Nechayev was asking. Pulling up the scans of Alynna's central nervous system, Beverly said thoughtfully,

'The damage to that part of her nervous system is not extensive, it should be back to normal within two to three weeks.'

'Two to three weeks?'

'Probably but we'll have to see how she does.'

'Okay.'

Bill Nechayev nodded his head but Beverly could see that he was still trying to cope with the information that she'd given him. Standing up, she said,

'Were you going to stay with your wife for a while?'

'Yes.'

Beverly led him out of her office and pulled one of the visitor's chairs over to the admiral's bed, saying,

'You can stay for as long as you like. If you have any more questions, Doctor Selar will be on duty till twenty-three hundred hours.'

As she made her way to her quarters, Beverly wondered if Jean-Luc knew that Bill Nechayev was aboard. Smiling wryly, Beverly admitted to herself that it would be amusing to see the two men together. Both were very charismatic but Bill Nechayev gave off an aura of wildness that Jean-Luc lacked.  
>Inside her quarters, her comm panel was blinking. As she hit accept, instead of a message it activated a live feed and Beverly found herself talking to Paul,<p>

'Beverly, you look wonderful.'

'Thank you.'

'Do you fancy going out for dinner? On the starbase?'

Beverly paused briefly. She had talked to Dean and Selar following Jean-Luc's necessary but high-handed rearrangement of her staff rota and they had decided that she would do a normal alpha shift, Selar would do fourteen hundred to twenty-three hundred hours and Dean would do oh-six hundred to fifteen hundred hours. This meant that they would all be present for the counselling sessions but that there was a qualified doctor in Sickbay for seventeen hours a day. Unfortunately that meant that one of them had to be on call each night and tonight it was her turn. Thinking quickly, she said,

'Yes, but I have to be back by twenty-two hundred hours; I'm on call tonight.'

'No problem. When do you want to leave?'

Beverly was about to tell him to come over in an hour when inspiration struck and she said,

'I need to shower. Want to help me?'

A look of pure desire crossed Paul's face and he said,

'I'll be there in five minutes.'

Beverly smiled happily as the comm channel went dead.

Jean-Luc smiled at Deanna as she came and sat beside him. They had had dinner and were planning to spend the evening on paperwork. Well, that was the stated plan; in fact, Jean-Luc was planning to seduce Deanna later. He had given their conversations some thought and the last thing he wanted was for Deanna to think that he didn't desire her, that it was only about the bond. He'd told her that he found her very sexy, later he'd show her. In the meantime, they both had paperwork to do. He picked up the Shuttlecraft Status Report and remembered that the conversation he'd planned to have with Deanna had been derailed by her walking towards him wearing nothing but riding boots, chaps and a riding jacket. Any heterosexual man who could think coherently after seeing that either needed medical attention or was possessed by aliens. Getting his thoughts back on track, he said,

'Deanna, you've always enjoyed piloting, haven't you?'

'Yes. Why?'

'You should take the helm more often when you're on a shuttle. There's no reason to let someone else pilot if you want to do it.'

'I suppose not. I suppose I do tend to automatically let Will or Worf or Data pilot…'

Deanna trailed off and Jean-Luc could see her thinking about it. After a couple of minutes she said,

'Mother always hated me piloting and always insisted on having a qualified pilot fly us, even after I'd passed my advanced test.'

'So you got into the habit of deferring to other pilots?'

'Yes.'

'You're a full commander, Deanna. One of the few perks that comes with the extra paperwork is being able to tell the ensign at the helm that you're taking over.'

'And there's plenty of paperwork,' said Deanna, looking at the pile on the coffee table ruefully.

'So take advantage of the perks,' said Jean-Luc encouragingly.

Deanna looked at him thoughtfully and Jean-Luc knew that she'd picked up something from him. Smiling ruefully, he was about to confess when his comm badge chirped,

'Data to Captain Picard.'

'Picard here. Go ahead.'

'Mister Nechayev has boarded and is currently in Sickbay, Captain.'

'Has he been informed that Admiral Nechayev will not be disembarking here.'

'I am uncertain, Sir. Admiral Nechayev or Doctor Selar may have updated him.'

'He ought to be officially welcomed aboard anyway. Can you go down to Sickbay and greet him and find out, please, Data?'

'Negative, Captain. Commodore Ch'ha will be contacting the Enterprise in approximately two point five minutes and has specifically asked to speak to the Officer of the Watch.'

Commodore Ch'ha was notorious for being a detail-obsessed pedant and, not only did Jean-Luc not want to deal with him, but having asked for the Officer of the Watch, he would not be happy to accept a substitution, even of someone of higher rank. Putting his padd down on the table, Jean-Luc said,

'Understood. I'll go to Sickbay, you deal with Commodore Ch'ha.'

'Aye, aye, Captain.'

Jean-Luc signed off and stood up resignedly. Deanna stood up with him, saying,

'I'll come too, I've known Bill Nechayev for years.'

As they walked towards the turbolift, Jean-Luc realised that he should have asked Deanna about Bill Nechayev earlier,

'Do you know him well?'

'Not very well. I've met him a few times because of mother's friendship with Admiral Nechayev.'

'What's he like?'

'Very artistic and very intelligent. Hates all bureaucrats and thinks Starfleet is rule-bound and militaristic.'

'Yet is married to Starfleet's poster child for correct military behaviour.'

'Yes and it's a very successful marriage.'

'Fascinating,' said Jean-Luc briefly, aware that he was running out of time to pick Deanna's brains, 'How should I approach him?'

'As a potential friend, I think. He'll view your rank as irrelevant and the fact that he's aboard a spaceship as an inconvenience.'

Jean-Luc smiled wryly. He liked to think that he was not man who relied on the prestige of his rank; he was about to find out if that was true.

As they entered Sickbay, Bill Nechayev rose to his feet and came to meet them, saying,

'Deanna, how lovely to see you.'

He and Deanna hugged briefly and Deanna said,

'Lovely to see you too,' then turned to Jean-Luc and said, 'This is my partner, Jean-Luc Picard.'

'Bill Nechayev, pleased to meet you.'

The men shook hands and exchanged smiles. Jean-Luc said,

'Pleased to meet you too.'

'So how long have you and Deanna been a couple?'

'Just a few weeks.'

'And are you a member of the crew too?'

'Yes, I'm the captain in fact.'

'Are you allowed to have a relationship with a member of your crew? Doesn't Starfleet have lots of rules about that sort of thing?'

'Yes, it does but since Deanna is a member of the medical team, it's allowed.'

'Oh?'

'Although I am the captain, the medical staff only have to obey me when it comes to matters directly pertaining to ships operations. When it comes to medical matters the Chief Medical Officer is in charge.'

'Doctor Crusher?'

'Yes.'

'So she can over rule you if it's a medical matter?'

'Yes and has done so on numerous occasions.'

'Numerous occasions?'

'She tends to be over-cautious about discharging me if I've been injured.'

'You mean that she doesn't think that just stopping the worst of the bleeding is good enough,' said Deanna tartly.

'Sometimes I need to be on the Bridge no matter what.'

'And sometimes you're just being obstinate.'

'Determination is a valuable trait in a command officer.'

'Not when it is detrimental to your health,' said Selar, joining them.

Jean-Luc smiled ruefully as Bill Nechayev laughed, saying,

'I see what you mean; they're not intimidated by you at all.'

'No and I wouldn't want them to be.'

'And how do you feel about random civilians? Do you expect them to be intimidated by you?'

The challenge in Bill's voice made it clear that he knew that Alynna wasn't being transferred to Starbase 81. Jean-Luc caught himself stiffening and made himself relax, saying,

'No, not at all. Why would they be?'

'So you're not going to expect me to bow and scrape?'

'Absolutely not!' said Jean-Luc revolted by the image.

'Or expect me to follow Starfleet rules and regulations?'

'You're a civilian, the only rules and regulations that apply to you are the safety regulations and emergency procedures. Since those will stop you from being hurt or from hurting someone else, I do expect you to follow those.'

Bill Nechayev looked at Jean-Luc belligerently and Jean-Luc braced himself for an argument but Alynna quietly intervened,

'Bill, if you don't agree to obey the safety and emergency regulations, I'll ask Jean-Luc to put you off.'

'Alynna!'

Alynna held out her right hand towards her husband, saying,

'I love having you here and I want you to stay but I can't allow you to endanger the crew.'

Bill Nechayev took his wife's hand in both of his, saying,

'Would it really endanger the crew?'

'Yes.'

'All right.'

Bill turned to Jean-Luc and said,

'So, is there a pamphlet or something?'

'There are several sections in the Starfleet Regulations Manual but rather then force you to wade through that, I was going to get Commander Data to go through everything with you. If that's all right with you?'

'Now?'

'Or tomorrow morning, whichever you prefer.'

'I would prefer tomorrow morning.'

'Good. Just contact Commander Data when you're ready.'

'Okay.'

Jean-Luc smiled and he and Deanna said goodbye and left.  
>No one else was in the turbolift so Jean-Luc said,<p>

'That was easier than I expected.'

'Yes…' said Deanna dubiously.

'You don't think he'll learn the safety and emergency rules and procedures?'

'Yes, he'll do that.'

'But something bothered you?'

'Underneath the charm he was very upset.'

'Understandably.'

'Yes… he was a lot more subdued than I expected. His behaviour is usually much more…'

Jean-Luc waited patiently as Deanna tried to put Bill's unique behaviour into words. Eventually, she said,

'He's usually very dramatic and can be quite outrageous too.'

'Outrageous?'

'It's hard to explain… He likes to challenge people's preconceptions so he might decide to dress as an Orion slave girl for the evening and then speak only in Vulcan.'

Jean-Luc tried to picture Bill Nechayev as a Vulcan-speaking Orion slave girl and failed. Shrugging, he said,

'He's here to spend time with his wife and he's got his painting equipment. That should keep him out of mischief.'

Deanna looked doubtful but Jean-Luc was confident that his crew could deal with anything Bill Nechayev threw at them. After all, how much trouble could one human male cause?

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	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Author's note: I had the pleasure of meeting Marina Sirtis a few days ago; she was absolutely wonderful. My photos are on flickr – username: madmother

Chapter Twenty

Jean-Luc followed Deanna back into his quarters and any thought of getting any more paperwork done was derailed by the flow of her hair down her back and the graceful sway of her hips as she walked. As the door closed behind them he took her hand in his and said,

'Do you fancy leaving the paperwork for a bit?'

The physical contact allowed Deanna to read his emotions very clearly and she felt a surge of warmth going through her she read the affection and desire going through Jean-Luc's mind.

'Have something in mind?'

'Well, I've been doing a bit of research…'

'Oh? Anything interesting?'

'I hope so.'

Jean-Luc led her into the bedroom as they spoke and began undressing her slowly. Once she was naked he allowed her to reciprocate but when she began to caress him, he took her hands in his and led her to the bed, saying,

'Not tonight. Tonight is about your pleasure.'

Deanna quirked an eyebrow at him but didn't protest; they both knew that the bond meant that her pleasure would very soon become his too. They lay on the bed together and Jean-Luc held her in his arms, stroking her back and kissing her tenderly. Deanna melted into the pleasure, feeling his happiness and desire melding with her own. After a few minutes, Jean-Luc turned Deanna on to her back and began kissing his way down her body, saying,

'You are so very beautiful.'

Deanna smiled radiantly and gave herself up to the pleasure that he was giving her. Two minutes later, she was screaming his name as she climaxed. As she came down, she briefly wondered what he'd been reading before another wave of pleasure hit and it was impossible to think about anything at all. She clutched at Jean-Luc's shoulders as wave after wave of pleasure ran through her body and she climaxed again and again. When Jean-Luc's arousal eventually became too much for him to ignore, their bond was so strong that Deanna felt all of the sensations from his body as well as her own. Overwhelmed with pleasure she urged him on with her mind, no longer able to speak. She felt Jean-Luc's response through the bond and then they were spiralling upwards together. When they climaxed the pleasure was so intense that she nearly passed out.

*Jean-Luc! *

*Deanna, ma belle. *

Lying with her head on his chest afterwards, she said,

'That was wonderful, thank you.'

Deanna didn't need to look at Jean-Luc to tell that he was smiling smugly but he said,

'Thank you for being willing to give our relationship a chance.'

Deanna wrapped her arms around him, saying,

'I'm very glad that I did.'

Their paperwork forgotten, they drifted off to sleep.

Will Riker strode briskly into Engineering, using his long legs to cover the ground as fast as possible, determined to catch them out. He'd failed to lure Data into an indiscretion when they'd spent the evening together but Data was nowhere near as naïve now as he used to be. He knew that they were planning a party and, given that the Captain was certain to have asked Data or Geordi to arrange it, Engineering was the logical place to discuss it. They could use Geordi's office and be safe from inquisitive onlookers. However, Geordi's office door was open and Geordi and Data were working on the maintenance schedule together. As he entered the office Geordi said,

'I think that covers everything that needs to be done.'

'Agreed,' said Data.

They both rose from their seats as Will entered but he waved them back down, saying,

'At ease.'

'What can I do for you, Commander?' asked Geordi.

'Nothing really, Geordi, I just wanted to stretch my legs.'

'Feeling restless?'

'A bit.'

'When do you disembark?' asked Geordi.

'The day after tomorrow.'

'Well, we're going to miss you, Sir.'

'I concur,' said Data, 'It will not be the same without you.'

'I'm going to miss you too. It'll be strange being on another ship.'

'Are you looking forward to commanding your own ship?' asked Data.

From anyone else the question would have been disingenuous but Will knew that Data was being sincere.

'I am, Data, but I'm not looking forward to leaving all my friends.'

'Yet such separations are an inevitable part of Starfleet life.'

Will looked slightly taken aback so Geordi chipped in,

'Knowing that something is inevitable doesn't necessarily make it any easier.'

Data cocked his head to the side and said,

'I understand. In fact literature would suggest that the inevitability of the separation would tend to make it harder.'

'Yes and no,' said Will, 'Because Starfleet moves are usually caused by promotions it tends not to be too bad.'

'I see. Thank you for explaining it to me, Commander.'

'No problem, Data.'

Will turned to leave and Data rose, saying,

'I am due in Sickbay in four point two minutes. I will see you later Geordi.'

'Sure Data.'

Once the proximity detector that they had attached to Will Riker's boots showed that he had left Engineering, Geordi retrieved the list of tasks to be done for the party and started assigning them to his helpers.

Bill Nechayev looked at Data with fascination, saying,

'You're an android?'

'Yes, Sir.'

'Don't call me sir; I'm not in your damned organisation.'

Data paused, surprised, but noted with interest that Mister Nechayev was smiling tenderly at Admiral Nechayev who was smiling back. He made a mental note to ask Deanna at his next counselling session whether this was something that would qualify as an in joke.

'How do you wish me to address you?'

'Call me Bill.'

'Very well. Are you ready to go through the safety and emergency procedures, Bill?'

'I suppose so.'

'As a civilian, your assembly point in the event of any emergency except an evacuation is Sickbay.'

'Okay. So how do I know when it's an emergency?'

'The Enterprise has a system of sirens and lights…'

Bill Nechayev reluctantly forced himself to concentrate on Data's words even though his hands and eyes were itching to start painting him instead.

Jean-Luc smiled at Deanna and Beverly across the lunch table. Deanna had chosen the seat furthest away from him, which had provoked Beverly to say,

'Don't worry, I can always let myself out if you get carried away.'

'You mean you wouldn't stay and watch?' said Deanna.

Beverly had laughed but blushed as well, saying,

'I think I'd spare Jean-Luc that.'

'Glad to hear it,' said Jean-Luc, getting up to fetch the food.

They had idly chatted whilst eating, catching up with each other's news. Now they were sipping coffee and Jean-Luc was wondering how to start the conversation he wanted to have when Beverly said,

'Spit it out, Jean-Luc. Why did you invite me to lunch?'

'Can't a man simply invite a friend to enjoy a meal?'

'He can but you didn't. What is it?'

Jean-Luc sighed, sometimes Beverly was too bright,

'I wanted to suggest something but unofficially.'

'Why unofficially?'

'Because technically it's none of my business.'

'None of your business? It's a medical matter then?'

'Yes and no.'

'That was helpful.'

Beverly's acerbic reply jolted Jean-Luc's brain into action,

'I want to suggest something as Deanna's lover not as her captain.'

Deanna leant forward, saying,

'And you need to discuss it with Beverly rather than me?'

'No, I need to discuss it with both of you.'

Beverly and Deanna exchanged blank looks, then Beverly said impishly,

'If you want a threesome, you should have said before I started going out with Paul, Jean-Luc.'

Jean-Luc blushed as the thought of Beverly and Deanna both in his bed seared through his brain, rendering him momentarily speechless. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the thought aside, saying,

'If I wanted a threesome I would definitely have discussed it with Deanna first.'

'So you want to unofficially interfere?' asked Beverly.

'Yes.'

'All right but you do realise that I'll ignore your suggestion if I disagree with it?'

'You always do.'

Beverly glared at him and Jean-Luc held up a placating hand, saying,

'The Medical Department is your purview, I'm not trying to take over.'

'As long as that's understood, go ahead.'

'You don't enjoy piloting, do you, Beverly?'

'No, not really.'

Beverly was looking puzzled but Jean-Luc could tell that Deanna had put the pieces together.

'Deanna does and I wondered about her doing some piloting courses as part of her professional development.'

Beverly blinked then said,

'Are you sure that it's not the captain suggesting this?'

'Yes. The Enterprise has a full complement of pilots and whilst the captain is always delighted to find officers who share his love of piloting, he has no need of any more.'

'Hmph.'

Beverly was clearly unconvinced so Jean-Luc continued,

'I hadn't even thought about until Lwaxana came on board.'

'Lwaxana?'

'What does Mother have to do with it?'

'We talked about you landing the saucer section and it reminded me how exceptional a piece of piloting that was.'

'Was it?' asked Beverly, curiously.

'Yes. Starfleet don't advertise it but as captain I was shown the statistics before I came on board; expected fatalities from a crash landing of the saucer are over forty percent. Captains get shown the simulations and statistics to encourage them not to disengage the saucer section unless it's absolutely necessary. We had no fatalities. You thoroughly deserved the Commendation that you received, Deanna.'

'So from there you leapt to Deanna doing piloting as her professional development?'

'Only if she wants to and you agree. I'm not trying to bulldoze either of you into anything. That's why I'm bringing it up now, four months before Deanna's next performance review.'

'Hmm. Okay, I'll now consider myself unofficially interfered with,' said Beverly dryly, 'It's an interesting thought. Deanna _is_ running out of psychology courses to do.'

Jean-Luc relaxed, relieved that Beverly wasn't angry. They chatted for a few more minutes and Jean-Luc was about to head back to the Bridge when the door chime rang,

'Enter.'

Data came in and said,

'I am sorry to disturb you, Sir, but I wondered if I might have some assistance with the guest list for Commander Riker's party?'

'What seems to be the trouble, Data?'

'Should I exclude Commander Riker's ex-lovers?'

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	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jean-Luc looked blankly at Data for a second. Was he really suggesting that they should un-invite all of the women that Will had ever slept with? Even though some of them would already be en route? And which would exclude both of the women currently in the room.  
>Beverly and Deanna were glaring at Data and Jean-Luc realised that if he wanted his second officer to stay in one piece he needed to intervene,<p>

'Data, that is hardly an appropriate question.'

Data cocked his head to the side as he processed the captain's response. After a couple of seconds, he said,

'Was that a tactless thing to say?'

'Very,' said Jean-Luc.

'I apologise, I did not mean to cause offence.'

'Well you did,' said Beverly, clearly not placated by Data's apology, 'Why would Will's ex-lovers need to be excluded from his party?'

'I do not know. That is why I came to get the captain's advice.'

'What?' said Jean-Luc.

'Data, why don't you start at the beginning. What made you think that this might be necessary?' said Deanna.

'I overheard Ensign Rime and Ensign Bentham talking. They said that they were looking forward to seeing, I believe they said, 'a cat fight', at Commander Riker's party. When I enquired they explained that having so many of his ex-lovers in one room was a bad idea.'

'There can't be that many of his ex-lovers coming, surely?' said Jean-Luc.

'I estimate that there will be between thirty-seven and forty-three of Commander Riker's ex-lovers present. That calculation is based to a certain extent on anecdotal evidence, which is why the margin of error is so large. I can attempt to refine the number by questioning some of the women involved if you wish Captain.'

'No, definitely not!' said Jean-Luc hastily.

'That is quite a few,' said Deanna calmly, 'but I fail to see why it should be a problem. I assume that almost all of them are members of Starfleet?'

'Yes, Counsellor.'

'Then even if they are a bit annoyed with Will, they won't do anything.'

'And if you do exclude his ex-lovers it'll be a total sausage fest,' added Beverly.

'Sausage fest? Accessing…'

'She means that it will be a male dominated gathering, Data,' explained Deanna.

'Yes… how many of the female Sickbay staff haven't slept with Will?' said Beverly.

'Selar… Did Alyssa ever sleep with him?' replied Deanna.

'I don't think so… wasn't she already seeing Andrew by the time he made his move?'

'I think you're right. So Selar and Alyssa from the medical department. How many from Sciences?'

'No idea. All the Vulcan women, of course but otherwise… well, you know what Will's like,' said Beverly, realising too late that it was the worst possible thing to say.

'Willing to have sex with anyone vaguely female.'

Deanna's tone was slightly subdued but Beverly was pleased to see that there was no pain in her expression.

'Or even neuter,' said Beverly, injecting as much sarcasm as possible into her voice.

'Beverly!' said Deanna reprovingly, but her eyes were alight with laughter.

'No, Data, we will not exclude Will's ex-lovers,' said Jean-Luc, 'They are all intelligent women; if they don't want to attend they won't. And if any of them decide to take Will to task then there will be plenty of security staff to hand. Leave the invitation list as it is.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'Aside from that, how are the plans proceeding, Data?' said Jean-Luc, deliberately changing the subject.

It was one thing to know that Will was promiscuous, quite another to hear just how many of his fellow shipmates he'd seduced. Yes, he kept himself to members of the Science or Medical departments to avoid conflicts of interest, but even so Jean-Luc did not want to hear about it.

'Quite well, Sir. We are on schedule. Commander Riker has made several attempts to determine the location and timing of the party but so far everyone has successfully dissembled. Initially, several of the Vulcan crewmembers were uncomfortable with the idea of lying but I explained that it was a Starfleet tradition, which appeared to make it acceptable to them.'

'Good. Keep it up.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'Is there anything I can do?' asked Deanna.

'Would it be possible for you and Doctor Crusher to distract Commander Riker tomorrow?'

Deanna looked at Data ruefully, wondering how to explain to him what a terrible idea that was,

'I'm probably not the best choice for that, Data.'

'But I am,' said Beverly, effectively preventing Data from asking Deanna for an explanation, 'Don't worry, I'll keep him busy.'

Beverly had a mischievous smile on her face and Jean-Luc wondered what final torture Beverly had planned for Will.

'Just remember, he needs to be in one piece and well enough to party tomorrow evening,' he cautioned.

'Why, Jean-Luc, whatever do you think I've got planned for him?'

Beverly's smile was wicked and Jean-Luc shook his head, saying,

'I've got a very definite feeling that I don't want to know.'

Beverly laughed but to Jean-Luc's relief didn't elaborate. He knew that she wouldn't hurt Will or stop him from attending his going away party but that still left an awful lot of scope for an intelligent mind and he didn't want to have to stop her fun.

The rest of Jean-Luc's shift was quiet and he was in a relaxed mood when he came off shift. The group counselling session had gone well with people talking freely about how terrible they had felt about the amount of pain that Alynna had suffered. Bill Nechayev had completed his safety and emergency procedures training and had, so far, caused no problems. The planned maintenance was all going to schedule and Will still hadn't managed to find out when or where his surprise party was being held. When he walked into his quarters Deanna was waiting for him and one glance at her face told him that she was tense and worried. He went to take her in his arms but she moved away, saying,

'We need to talk.'

With his heart sinking, Jean-Luc said,

'All right.'

'Why don't you sit on the sofa?'

Jean-Luc did as she asked and watched nervously as she sat at the table,

'Deanna, what's wrong?'

'I'm not sure that our relationship's going to work?'

'Why?'

Jean-Luc suppressed a surge of panic and made himself listen,

'Why didn't you talk to me before talking to Beverly about my professional development?'

'I did,' said Jean-Luc, puzzled.

'No, you didn't. You asked me whether I enjoyed piloting, you didn't ask me whether I wanted to develop it.'

'I'm sorry, I just assumed…'

'And why did _you_ need to mention it to Beverly at all? I'm an adult, Jean-Luc, I don't need my life organised for me.'

Realisation slammed into Jean-Luc; she was afraid that he was going to try to control her just as her mother had. And she was right; why hadn't he just discussed it with her and left it up to her whether or not she brought it up with Beverly?

'Merde. I'm an idiot! …Deanna, I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to try to control you.'

'Then what were you trying to do?'

Jean-Luc paused whilst he thought about it, then blushed as he realised with chagrin what his motivation had been,

'I was showing off.'

'Showing off?'

'Yes, I wanted you and Beverly to be impressed by my tact and consideration.'

'Impressed? You were trying to impress me?'

'Yes but doing a very bad job of it obviously.'

'But why do you need to impress me?'

'I think I'm feeling a bit insecure because you're so much younger than I am; I'm worried that you'll find someone younger and better-looking than me and go off with them.'

Jean-Luc spoke slowly, trying to be honest about his feelings, knowing that lying to Deanna about them would be an insult.

'So you were trying to mark your territory too?'

Jean-Luc flinched but forced himself to take a hard look at his motivation,

'Perhaps, though I wasn't aware of it at the time.'

'All right.'

Deanna relaxed and Jean-Luc felt the knot of fear that had started to gather begin to dissolve.

'Deanna, I've never been in a long-term relationship before. I'm sorry if I'm being overbearing.'

'You're not in general. It's just… It took me such a long time to convince my mother to let me live my own life…'

'You're worried that I'm going to take over?'

'A bit… What worries me more is that I might let you.'

'Deanna, in the last seven years I've watched you become a strong, independent woman. I've no doubt that we'll have battles because I'm used to being in charge but I would never want you to give way to me against your better judgement. You've taught me to be honest about my emotions, would you do me the honour of always being honest about yours?'

'Are you sure? Humans often find complete honesty difficult to deal with.'

'Yes, I'm sure. It may be difficult but how can our relationship work if you're holding back all the time?'

'All right.'

'How are you feeling now?'

'Relieved. Happy.'

'Good.'

Jean-Luc stood and went over to Deanna's chair. She rose to meet him and he pulled her into his arms and cradled her gently against his chest. Their bond began to form but Jean-Luc deliberately turned his mind away from sex, instead concentrating solely on Deanna's emotions, feeling her happiness blend with his. They stayed there basking in the warmth of each other's emotions for a couple of minutes but then the bond deepened and Jean-Luc felt arousal singing through his blood. Deanna lifted her face to his and they kissed passionately. Jean-Luc began caressing her whilst carefully manoeuvring them towards the bedroom. As they passed the threshold Deanna said,

'You do know that when I said that I didn't want you taking control, I didn't mean sex, don't you?'

'Good.'

As he replied, Jean-Luc pulled both of Deanna's hands behind her back and held them there with one of his, pulling her firmly against his body. As he kissed her, he used his free hand to cup and knead her buttock before moving it up her body to pull her hair gently. Deanna wriggled against him, moaning with pleasure as he nibbled beneath her chin. Jean-Luc continued to kiss and caress her for several minutes until her clothing became too much of a hindrance. Letting go of her hands he hurriedly yanked her clothing off then said,

'Wait there.'

Jean-Luc went to the replicator and ordered a long silk scarf. Deanna watched with interest as he approached her and said,

'Hands by your side.'

Deanna let her hands lie passively by her side and Jean-Luc wrapped the scarf around her waist and her arms, holding her arms securely to her sides. As a way to tie someone up, it was terrible; her hands and wrists were free. For what Jean-Luc had in mind it was perfect; he wanted her to feel out of control but still be comfortable.  
>He quickly stripped then stood behind her, pressing his body against hers as he scratched and pinched her breasts. Through the bond he could tell that Deanna was finding being unable to use her hands deeply erotic and he moved his hands down her body sending her spiralling upwards into an intense climax. He held her round the waist as her legs gave way and helped her on to the bed, lying her face up and using his hands and mouth to begin the process of arousal again. He used his knowledge of her body to send her spiralling upwards again and again, enjoying being in complete control. He waited for as long as possible, not wanting it to end, but finally he put a pillow under Deanna's hips and joined their bodies. The sensation was so exquisite that he had to pause for several seconds to regain control but then they were moving and all they could feel was white-hot pleasure as they climaxed together. For a split second it seemed to Jean-Luc that he could tell what Deanna was thinking but then he came back into his body and the sensation faded.<p>

It was several minutes before Jean-Luc was aware enough to remember that Deanna was restrained and by then she had freed herself. Smiling happily she unwound the silk from around her waist and folded it neatly, saying,

'I think we'll keep this.'

**Please review. Thanks.**


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount. I own nothing.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Beverly waited until after the morning meeting before putting her plan into action. Once she and Will were outside the briefing room she said,

'Will, do you want me to get your immunisations up to date before you leave?'

'Yes please, Beverly.'

'If you come down to Sickbay with me, I can do it now.'

'Permission to report to Sickbay, Sir?'

'Granted, Number One,' said Jean-Luc resisting the temptation to look at Beverly, knowing that Will would notice.

Hoping that Beverly wouldn't do anything too extreme, he turned his mind to another potential problem,

'Counsellor, would you join me in my Ready Room, please.'

'Yes, Captain.'

Once they were inside his Ready Room, Jean-Luc sat behind his desk and motioned Deanna to take one of the chairs. She hesitated, moving it further away from him, before sitting down. He smiled ruefully, saying,

'That, Counsellor, is why I wanted to talk to you.'

'Sir?'

'Our next mission is a diplomatic mission and I'm going to want your input. How do we manage that without causing ourselves and others embarrassment?'

'I could provide my input via viewscreen from my office.'

'And if something happens to cut off communications? No, unacceptable. I need you on the Bridge. Also, you need to be able to be Bridge Officer when required without my presence being a problem.'

'Then?'

'I think we need to experiment. How close can we be to each other before the bond forms? And does being on duty make any difference?'

'Being on duty makes a difference for me,' said Deanna, trying to find the words to explain, 'You feel different when you're on duty. More focussed, less…less physical.'

'So it's easier when we're on duty?'

'Up to a point…'

'Yes?'

'I'm sorry, Captain, Federation Standard doesn't really have the right words for explaining it. Um…When you're focussing on something else, it's easier to resist the bond if I'm near you but the focussing itself makes the bond more…enticing.'

'So both easier and harder to resist?'

'Yes, Captain.'

'But being further away definitely helps?'

'Yes.'

'Would being sat at one of the science stations be far enough away if I'm in the captain's chair?'

'I think so.'

'When is your next appointment?'

'In an hour.'

'Would you be willing to test it now?'

'Yes, Captain. Before we do though, what about you? When do you feel the bond forming?'

'If I'm initiating it?'

'Yes.'

'Usually, just before we touch. Unless I deliberately clear my mind and reach out to you.'

'So the distance at which I feel comfortable is likely to be the defining factor.'

'I think so. Are you happy to test it now? It seems a logical time to do it.'

'Yes, whilst the consequences of a mistake are a small amount of embarrassment.'

'Indeed,' said Jean-Luc, 'Though I would prefer to avoid the embarrassment altogether, if possible.'

Deanna smiled but said demurely,

'Yes, Captain.'

They went on to the Bridge and Jean-Luc sat in his chair and Deanna chose one of the science stations at random. Sitting down, Deanna allowed her shields to drop very slightly, so that they were at her normal level. This far from Jean-Luc the tug of the bond was easy to resist although she was aware of every minute shift in Jean-Luc's mood. Deanna pulled up some patient notes on the console and prepared to see if this was a tenable option.

Will followed Beverly into Sickbay and sat on one of the bio beds. Beverly ran her tricorder over him to check that he was in his usual good health then went into her office. The hypospray that she had prepared was in her desk drawer, along with the other things she needed. She put everything in her pocket then went back to Will, saying,

'Hold still,' as she raised the hypospray to his neck.

Once the hypospray had discharged, Beverly said,

'You're now up to date with all of the mandatory immunisations.'

'Great. Thanks, Beverly.'

Will shifted prior to getting off the bed and Beverly said,

'Will, look at me.'

Will looked at Beverly and blinked as a light flashed in his eyes. He went to raise his arm but Beverly said,

'Relax, Will.'

Will let his arm drop and listened to Beverly's voice.

After twenty minutes, Jean-Luc said to Deanna,

'Would you join me in my Ready Room, please, Counsellor.'

'Yes, Captain.'

'You have the Bridge, Mr Data.'

'Aye, Captain.'

Once they were sitting down, Jean-Luc said,

'What do you think, Counsellor? How difficult for you is it at that distance?'

'All right, I think. I was able to concentrate on my patient notes without becoming distracted. I won't be certain until I've done a full shift but I think you've found a solution.'

'Good. How about if you were closer to me? At Tactical, for example?'

'I'm not sure, said Deanna thoughtfully, 'If that was your chair on the Bridge, Tactical would be about here.'

Deanna stood up and moved until she was standing at the hypothetical position of Tactical. She looked at the floor as her mind readjusted, waiting to see how strong the pull towards Jean-Luc was. After a couple of minutes she said,

'I've had to reinforce my mental shields, Captain. I'm not sure how much use I'd be in a diplomatic situation.'

'But if there was an emergency that required you to take Tactical?'

'That shouldn't be a problem, Sir, as I would expect to be fully shielding in that situation anyway. I could probably take the helm as well, if required.'

'Good.'

'Was there anything else, Sir?'

'No, thank you. Dismissed.'

When Jean-Luc returned to the Bridge he was initially surprised to discover that Deanna was still on the Bridge. His surprise soon left him, however, as he realised that she was trying not to laugh aloud at the conversation between Will and Data, who were gazing at each other in bewilderment.

'What reason would I have to mislead you, Sir?'

'Quack, quack. I don't know, Mr Data, something to do with the tradition of playing tricks on people newly promoted to captain perhaps?'

'Indeed, Sir…'

'Quack, quack.'

'…I believe that that may well be the source of the problem.'

'I think we've established that, Data, so don't you think the joke's wearing a bit thin?'

'Sir?'

'Quack, quack. Cut it out, Data.'

'I am not doing anything, Sir.'

'Quack, quack.'

Jean-Luc suppressed a laugh as he realised what Beverly had done. Being careful not to look at Deanna, who was now doubled over with the effort to contain her laughter, he walked over to Will and said,

'What appears to be the problem, Number One?'

'Just a prank, Sir, quack, quack.'

'I gathered that. What is unclear to me is what you expect Mr Data to do about it.'

'Sir? Quack, quack. Since Data and the rest of the Bridge crew have been perpetrating it, surely they are the ones who should stop it?'

'I think you may have misunderstood the nature of the prank, Will. Mr Worf, please record this conversation.'

Worf pressed the relevant buttons, saying,

'Yes, Sir.'

'Quack, quack. May I ask why, Sir? Quack, quack.'

'Well, Number One, I think you may have been hypnotised.'

'Hypnotised, Sir? Quack, quack.'

'Yes. So that you say, 'Quack, quack,' every time anyone says, 'Sir'.'

'Quack, quack. That's what Data and Worf said I was doing but surely I would know if I was doing that, S…Captain?'

'I'm not sure. Data?'

'Accessing… Studies show that people who have been hypnotised are usually completely unaware of their actions. Sir.'

'Quack, quack.'

'Thank you, Data. Cease recording and play back, please, Mr Worf.'

They stood in silence as the recording played. By the end of the recording, Will had gone from disbelief to reluctant amusement, shaking his head ruefully,

'Damn, she's good.'

'Number One?'

'Beverly. I went with her like a lamb to the slaughter, didn't I? It never even occurred to me to be suspicious.'

Laughing, Will continued,

'Permission to report to Sickbay and stay for however long it takes me to persuade her to reverse it?'

'Granted, Number One.'

'I just hope I don't meet too many people en route.'

Will left and Jean-Luc looked at Deanna and said,

'In the unlikely event of me ever accepting a promotion to admiral, remind me not to go anywhere near Doctor Crusher in the days before I leave.'

'Yes…Sir,' said Deanna, laughing helplessly.

Jean-Luc grinned but contained his laughter until he was safely back in his Ready Room.

Will was not surprised to find that Beverly had made herself scarce when he got back to Sickbay. Perching on one of the bio beds, he waved off Doctor Rivers and resigned himself to wait.

**Please review.**


	23. Chapter 23

Author's note: Telepathic communication is shown using *.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Beverly somehow held back a smirk as she walked back into Sickbay to see Will Riker perched on one of the bio beds. Pretending not to notice him, she helped Admiral Nechayev back to bio bed three, saying,

'I want you to rest for at least an hour, Admiral.'

'Am I allowed to listen to my messages?'

'Private correspondence only.'

Alynna grimaced but didn't bother protesting, knowing that Beverly wasn't going to change her mind; she was confident in her own realm and wouldn't be swayed by Alynna's rank. And, Alynna admitted to herself, she was right about the rest; Alynna felt like a limp rag after her physiotherapy session.  
>Alynna looked about her sharply as she realised that the atmosphere in Sickbay had changed abruptly as Beverly approached Will Riker. As she watched, Beverly went to walk past Will as if she hadn't noticed him but he stepped off the bed, saying,<p>

'Beverly…'

Beverly stopped and said,

'Sorry, Sir…'

'Quack, quack.'

'…I didn't see you there.'

'I realise that I'm quite small and unremarkable, but perhaps you wouldn't mind giving me your attention.'

'Of course, Sir.'

'Quack, quack. And I think you could stop calling me, 'Sir', quack, quack, don't you?'

Alynna met Alyssa Ogawa's eyes and when she saw that they were brimming with laughter she realised that Beverly was responsible for Will's strange behaviour. Holding back a laugh of her own, she settled back and listened.

'Sir?'

'Quack, quack. Beverly…'

Will's voice held a note of warning and Beverly realised that he knew what she'd done. However, she had no intention of letting him off the hook that easily so she said,

'Yes, Commander?'

'You hypnotised me, didn't you?'

'Why would I do that, Sir?'

'Quack, quack. Because it's extremely funny?'

Beverly grinned and said,

'Yes it is. Tell me, how did you find out what I'd done?'

'I went straight from Sickbay to the Bridge so, of course, Data noticed it immediately. I didn't believe him until the captain got Worf to record it and play it back though. It's amazing the tricks your brain can be programmed to play; I was completely convinced that Data, Worf and Deanna were winding me up.'

'Yes the science behind hypnotism is fascinating.'

Beverly happily went into a highly detailed explanation into the mechanisms and psychology of hypnosis, bringing up diagrams on the monitor as she went. She was so enthusiastic that it wasn't until much later that Will realised that it was a deliberate ploy to keep him in Sickbay for as long as possible.

Reg Barclay watched the monitor happily. He had been given the task of keeping track of Commander Riker's movements and warning the people preparing for the party if he moved into certain areas. So far, he had only been on the Bridge and in Sickbay this morning. Reg felt a warm glow as he realised that very soon now Commander Riker would be a long way away from the Enterprise and Counsellor Troi.  
>He was distracted from the monitor by a clattering sound behind him. Looking round, he saw a civilian setting up an easel in front of the warp core. As he watched, the man put up a folding stool, took out some paints and sat down. Hesitantly, Reg approached him, saying,<p>

'E…excuse me, Sir.'

The man ignored him so Reg nervously touched him on the shoulder, saying,

'S…Sir?'

'Don't call me 'Sir'.'

'N…No, S… Um… W…what are you d…doing?'

'Painting, of course.'

'D…does Mister LaForge know you're p…painting, S…Sir?'

'_Don't_call me 'Sir'!'

'S…sorry. W…what should I c…call you?'

'Bill. I'm Bill Necahyev.'

Bill thrust out a hand and Reg shook it, stammering nervously,

'R…Reg, Reg B…Barclay.'

As the significance of the man's name sunk in, Reg started shaking and made no further attempt to question him. Instead, he retreated to the Engineering Office and shut the door before tapping his comm badge,

'B…Barclay to P…Picard.'

He gulped nervously as he waited for the captain to respond but his instructions had been clear. Mr Data and Mr LaForge were working on the surprise party and were only to be contacted in an emergency, and Commander Riker was to be kept away from Engineering so that he wouldn't notice that there were virtually no Engineering staff present.

'Picard here. Go ahead, Mr Barclay.'

'M…Mister N…Nechayev is in Engineering and he's s…set up an easel. I th…think he's going to p…paint a p…picture of the w…warp c…core, S…Sir.'

There was a pause, then the captain said,

'Is he obstructing any of the access ways or endangering any of the ship's systems?'

Reg peered out of the doorway,

'H…he's s…slightly obstructing the p…port access b…but there's p…plenty of r…room to go r…round, S…Sir.'

'And he's not endangering any ship's systems?'

'N…no, Sir.'

'Then leave him be for now. If, in your judgement, he does anything that could endanger the ship, call me immediately, Lieutenant.'

'Y…yes, Sir.'

Reg signed off with a sigh of relief and went back to his monitor watching, pleased to see that Commander Riker was still in Sickbay.

Eventually, Beverly wound down and Will seized the opportunity to say,

'Will you reverse it, please?'

Beverly looked thoughtfully at him and said teasingly,

'What's in it for me?'

'My everlasting gratitude?'

'Hmm… Anything else?'

'I'll buy you dinner.'

'Throw in a massage at the spa before dinner and you have a deal.'

'All right. Tonight?'

'Yes. Selar is on call tonight so I won't need to watch the clock and I can easily take a few hours off.'

Will heaved a sigh of relief as Beverly pulled a light out of her pocket and said,

'Look at the light.'

A few minutes later Will strode out of Sickbay, smiling happily. Behind him Beverly's smirk transformed into a wicked grin.

With the Enterprise docked, Jean-Luc felt relaxed enough to leave an ensign in charge of the Bridge and decided to have an extended lunch break with Deanna. Having checked her whereabouts, Jean-Luc made his way to her quarters. He went to push the chime but the door opened automatically for him. Feeling absurdly pleased that she had programmed her door to open for him, he went in. Deanna was sitting cross-legged on the floor and Jean-Luc realised with chagrin that he had interrupted her meditating.

'I'm sorry, I'll leave you to it.'

'No, it's all right.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I was trying to relax and I'm sure what you have in mind will relax me more than meditating anyway.'

Jean-Luc felt himself blushing as he realised that she had sensed his arousal but he pushed past his discomfort, reminding himself that Deanna could always sense his emotions so why should her sensing sexual arousal be embarrassing. She had sensed it on numerous occasions before, after all. As he thought about it, he realised that his discomfort wasn't only due to how easily Deanna could read him. He looked thoughtfully at her and said,

'How do you avoid letting other people's emotions dominate your own?'

'Shielding and practice. It's one of the key things that I had to learn as an adolescent. Why?'

'So my arousal doesn't affect you unless you want it to?'

Deanna paused as she thought about it, then said,

'Because of the bond, your arousal is harder to shut out than other people's.'

'But you could if you wanted to?'

'As long as we aren't touching.'

'But if we're touching, you can't block it out?'

'No but neither can you.'

'True but why would I want to?'

'Well, why would I want to either?'

'Because you're tired or not in the mood or feeling ill.'

'Those reasons apply just as equally to you, Jean-Luc.'

'I know but…'

As Jean-Luc struggled to put his unease into words, Deanna said,

'You're worried that you could coerce me through the bond, aren't you?'

'Yes.'

'Just as I was.'

'Yes. At the time I didn't realise the implications but it goes both ways doesn't it?'

'Yes except that I have an unfair advantage; I can read your emotions from a distance so I know what you're feeling before you touch me. I knew that you were feeling horny when you were in the turbolift.'

'So you can tell me if you're not in the mood well before I touch you.'

'Yes.'

Jean-Luc felt a weight lift from him and said,

'Good. So shall we get to work on relaxing you then?'

'Make it so,' said Deanna mischievously.

Jean-Luc smiled and reached for her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. The link formed and Jean-Luc eagerly surrendered to it, letting Deanna feel his arousal and feeling her arousal through the bond in return. He deepened the kiss and felt her shiver against him and suddenly fire was licking through his veins. He frantically fumbled at the fastenings of her uniform, growling as he reached bare skin. Jean-Luc's growl reverberated through Deanna's body and mind and she gasped as she climaxed, clinging to his shoulders. As she came down from her high she found herself being carried into her bedroom. Jean-Luc put her on the bed and quickly stripped before joining her. He kissed and scratched his way down her body before using his fingers and tongue to drive her to careering upwards again. He had been doing some more research and was delighted to discover that his new technique was even more effective. Deanna climaxed again and again, becoming incoherent with pleasure, writhing helplessly on the bed. Eventually, she pushed him away, saying,

'Your turn.'

She got Jean-Luc to lie on his back and then used her hands, lips and tongue to send him spiralling upwards. As he climaxed, he thought towards her,

*Deanna! *

*Jean-Luc! *

*That was amazing. *

*Yes, it was. *

Jean-Luc gathered Deanna into his arms and they held each other as they recovered. When Jean-Luc's breathing settled back down, he found Deanna looking thoughtfully at him. He looked questioningly at her and she said,

'Did you mean to do that?'

'I meant to call your name. I was surprised when you responded to my next thought. It's fascinating though. Will it continue to develop, do you think?'

'I'm not sure… in theory it should be very unlikely because your psi rating is so low but then in theory you and I shouldn't be able to form a Betazoid bond either.'

'So?'

'So, it may continue to develop. Or it may not.'

Jean-Luc nodded. Part of him wanted a definitive answer but intellectually he knew that Deanna was in no position to be able to give him one and, from what he understood, neither was anyone else. They'd just have to wait and see what happened. At least it was happening gradually so if it did develop into something more, he'd have time to adapt.

Will Riker tucked into his steak with gusto. Since going on Beverly's enforced exercise regime a few weeks ago, he'd rediscovered his love of exercise and felt the best he had for years. He'd also rediscovered one of the benefits of doing a lot of exercise; he could eat more without putting on weight.  
>As he ate, several people came over to say how sorry they were that he was leaving and to wish him luck and he found himself eating several extra snacks that people wanted him to try.<br>At thirteen-fifty hours his chronometer chimed, reminding him that he was due on the Bridge so he reluctantly headed off.  
>The Bridge was occupied solely by two ensigns when he got there, one of whom eagerly got out of the command chair. Will smiled wryly remembering how nervous he had been the first time he had been given command of the Bridge. Nodding at the ensign, he said,<p>

'Report.'

'All docking lines and ports at nominal, Sir. No outstanding alerts or communications, Sir.'

'Good.'

Will sat in the captain's chair and scrolled through the morning logs. As expected, they were entirely routine. Being docked at a starbase was boring. Will felt his pulse start to race as he thought about leaving the Enterprise and taking up his first command. He would miss everyone here and he knew that he would feel the extra burden of being the captain but this time he felt ready. As he pondered his choices for senior officers for the Eddison, he saw a flicker of colour out of the corner of his eye. Looking down, he saw a ripple of blue going across his arm under his skin, followed a few seconds later by a ripple of red. His other arm was doing the same. Looking up, he checked his crewmates; their skins stayed unchanged as his cycled through an array of bright colours. Swearing under his breath he said,

'Ellis, you have the Bridge.'

'Yes, S…Sir. Sir? Are you feeling all right?'

'I feel fine but since my skin doesn't normally change colour, I think I'd better pay Sickbay a visit.'

'Yes, Sir.'

Leaving the Bridge, Will went down to Sickbay for the third time that day.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's note: As this fic is getting rather large, I'm splitting it into two parts. Fanning the Flames, Part 2 will carry on from this chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When Will got to Sickbay the group counselling session was underway but Beverly immediately excused herself and came over, saying,

'Commander?'

As she spoke, Will's skin changed colour from red to blue again and Beverly blinked, saying,

'Come and lie on bio bed one, Will.'

Will followed Beverly across Sickbay, all too aware of the eyes watching him. He had a suspicion bordering on certainty that Beverly wasn't going to find a medical cause for what was going on; someone was playing another trick on him. Smiling wryly, Will admitted to himself that it was brilliant. He felt absolutely fine and would provide amusement for his crewmates wherever he went. Perhaps Beverly would let him hide out in Sickbay for a few hours.

'Computer, retrieve medical records for Commander William Thomas Riker.'

Will lay back and waited whilst Beverly conducted her preliminary examination. After a couple of minutes she said,

'It doesn't seem to be anything serious. All your readings are fine so far. How do you feel?'

'I feel fine. Someone's playing a prank on me, aren't they?'

'Probably but I want to carry out some more tests just in case.'

'Okay.'

'I'll start the scans going then I need to return to counselling, I'm afraid.'

'That's fine, Doctor.'

Beverly started a full body scan and then left Will alone. Staring at the ceiling, Will started considering who could have played this prank. Thinking back he realised that it was probably someone he had spoken to at lunch. How many hands had he shaken? And how many people had got him to try new foods using the excuse that it was the last chance? It couldn't be an allergic reaction to any of the foods, Beverly would have discovered that immediately, but a benign side effect? As the scan slowly proceeded, Will carefully thought back, making sure that he knew the names of everyone he'd come into contact with.

Jean-Luc waited until he and Deanna were in the turbolift after the counselling session before saying,

'That has to be one of the most amusing pranks I've ever seen. I take it that Beverly is responsible for this one too?'

'I think so. She certainly felt no surprise at all when Will came in.'

'And I think we can trust her to keep him busy all afternoon.'

'Undoubtedly. The full body scan will take another half an hour and I'm sure Beverly will think of something else afterwards.'

'Good. I'll let Data and Geordi know that Beverly's got everything in hand.'

The turbolift halted and Deanna got off, saying,

'See you at the party.'

Jean-Luc nodded and continued up to the Bridge. Data had arranged for people to make their way over to the party venue gradually over a couple of hours so that Will would be less likely to notice. Fortunately, with the Enterprise docked, large numbers of people were going to and fro anyway. Jean-Luc would only leave the Bridge a few minutes before the party started so that Will would find him on the Bridge if he inquired. However, Deanna was 'going shopping' and would go over to help with the final arrangements in about an hour.

Will found himself drifting off to sleep as Beverly set up another scan. He forced his eyes open, expecting Beverly to be annoyed but she smiled, saying,

'Relax, Will. This scan gives more accurate results the more relaxed the patient is.'

Will let his eyes drift closed.

Beverly smiled and manually activated the soundproofing around bio bed one so that Will wouldn't be startled awake by any noise from the Sickbay staff.

Beverly checked the chronometer with a satisfied smirk. Not only had she kept Will out of the way all day but she'd made sure that he was rested for his party. Of course he'd be all colours of the spectrum for it too. Donning a professional expression, she deactivated the soundproofing and said,

'Will, wake up.'

Will opened his eyes, blinked a few times then said,

'What time is it?'

'Sixteen hundred hours.'

'What? I'm supposed to be on the Bridge!'

'Relax, Will. The captain knows you're here. I've finished all the tests that I can think of and the good news is that it definitely looks as though someone has played a prank on you. Your sub-dermal cells have been tagged so that they change colour in a regular pattern.'

'Can you reverse it?'

'Not easily but the blood tests suggest that it's a temporary effect. I did some research and there are some fashion products available that do things like this. Could someone have slipped you something?'

'Easily. I spent all of lunch time chatting and eating bits and pieces that people had got for me.'

'Well the good news is that these fashion skins, as they're called, wear off in about twenty-four hours, as the immune system gets rid of it.'

'Thank goodness for that! For a minute I thought that I was going to have to take up my first command while going all the colours of the rainbow.'

Beverly made no attempt to hide the smirk that crossed her face at that thought but said,

'Don't worry, Will, if it hasn't gone by tomorrow, I'll sort something out.'

'Thank you, Beverly.'

'Now it's time for our massage and dinner. Pick me up at my quarters in twenty minutes.'

'Can we make it thirty? I really ought to go up to the Bridge first.'

'No need, I told the captain that you were going off shift early.'

Will looked at Beverly in amusement,

'Starfleet really need to get cracking with the medical ships. You're wasted as just Chief Medical Officer.'

Beverly grinned and said,

'Are you insinuating that I'm bossy, Commander?'

'Who? Me? Certainly not.'

Chuckling, Will left Sickbay and went back to his quarters to shower and change.

Twenty minutes later he was at Beverly's quarters admiring her dark blue halter-neck dress,

'You look great, Beverly.'

'Thanks, Will, so do you.'

Beverly talked to Will about the Eddison as they walked, making sure that he didn't notice how empty the Enterprise's corridors were. Once they were on the starbase, she confidently led him through the hustle and bustle to the spa. Going in, a member of staff greeted them and immediately said,

'This way.'

They followed her along several corridors ending up outside a set of doors. Beverly confidently approached the doors, linking arms with Will to bring him with her. They went through the doors to find themselves in darkness. Will had a second to wonder what was going on before the lights came up and he found himself in a large cargo bay surrounded by friends, all shouting,

'Surprise!'

Laughing he turned to Beverly and said,

'It was all you! You set me up!'

'Yes, I did.'

Will grabbed Beverly and hugged her, then advanced into the room, saying,

'Someone give me a beer!'

Jean-Luc looked around the party appreciatively; Data and Geordi had done an astounding job. The cargo bay was decorated with balloons and banners and food and drink suitable for all the attending species was available in large quantities. There were tables and chairs scattered around and there was a dance floor where a few brave souls were already dancing. Since Will was drinking real alcohol, Jean-Luc was sipping synthale but the buzz from it was pleasant none the less. He circulated from group to group, making small talk, resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be able to leave for several hours. There was a roar from the other side of the room and Jean-Luc smiled as he heard the Bridge recording from this morning being played. As he walked over, Beverly was being congratulated by everyone she saw for pulling off two such impressive pranks. What Jean-Luc found amazing was that Will hadn't suspected that Beverly was responsible for his skin changing colour even though a doctor was clearly the most likely to have the required expertise. When he asked Beverly how she'd fooled Will, she grinned, saying,

'It's all the acting I do, Jean-Luc. It makes me very good at controlling my facial expressions. You should try it. I'm starting rehearsals for a new play next week.'

'No, thank you. I'm perfectly happy with my current level of control.'

'I'll even cast Deanna as the female lead. Come on, Jean-Luc. How about it?'

'I'm sorry, Beverly, it's just not something I'd feel comfortable with.'

'Spoilsport.'

'Why don't you twist Paul's arm?'

'I tried. He said that he'd rather be forced to sit through twenty consecutive Klingon operas.'

'How about Geordi? Or some of the more junior crew?'

'Hmm. Maybe.'

Beverly had looked speculatively around the room and Jean-Luc knew that some unsuspecting crewmembers were going to wake up tomorrow to find that they'd signed up to be in Beverly's latest production. Jean-Luc made his escape before she could try to twist his arm again.

Three hours later, Jean-Luc decided that it was time to leave. The party was starting to get wild and he didn't want to have to take official notice of anything. Data would stop anything too inappropriate but sometimes it was best for the captain to be elsewhere. He went over to where Will was laughing and joking with a group of old friends. Will was naked from the waist up but had so far resisted all attempts to remove the rest of his clothes. As Jean-Luc went up to him, Will's skin changed from yellow to green and Jean-Luc found himself grinning. Will grinned back, saying,

'Jean-Luc, come and have a beer.'

Jean-Luc accepted another synthale and happily joined in the good-natured ribbing and story telling that was going on. Once he'd finished his drink, he said,

'I'm off to bed, Will. See you in the morning.'

'Going so soon?'

'Well for some reason, I'm on alpha shift tomorrow. Something to do with my first officer being unlikely to be fit for duty, I believe.'

'Shocking. You should keel haul the lazy so-and-so.'

'I'll take it under advisement.'

With another smile, Jean-Luc left, relieved that nothing serious had been touched upon.

Deanna laughed as two of his old flames coaxed a very intoxicated Will into removing his remaining clothing and putting on a pair of Starfleet issue ladies panties and a bra. The party was still going strong with more people arriving to replace those who had to leave. She had sensed Jean-Luc leaving a couple of hours ago but had decided to stay a bit longer. Mostly because Will was one of her oldest friends but partly to counteract any suggestion that she didn't do anything without Jean-Luc any more. Everyone was curious about the bond, which was normal, but what she didn't want was for people to assume that it made her 'the Captain's woman'. Even if it did. She and Jean-Luc hadn't discussed the consequences of a permanent bond and she knew that they ought to but she wanted them to have a chance to sort out any problems in their relationship whilst they could still pretend that they could walk away. An admission that their bond was permanent would change the dynamic entirely. And it might still be one of the temporary bonds. Even as she thought it, Deanna didn't believe it; the bond had deepened too much for it to be temporary.  
>Deanna snapped out of her introspection as Will climbed on a table and started dancing cheered on by a group of equally inebriated friends. With a feeling of prescience, Deanna looked around for Data and beckoned him over, saying,<p>

'Get ready to catch, Data.'

'Of course, Deanna.'

Two minutes later the inevitable happened; Will slipped and plummeted towards the ground. Data leapt forward and caught him, placing him gently back on his feet. Will laughed, saying,

'Data! Come and have a drink!'

'Gladly,' said Data supporting Will as he staggered.

As they turned towards the bar, Will saw Deanna and said,

'Hello, Imzadi.'

'Hello, Will.'

'Come and have a drink with us.'

'All right.'

They went over to the bar where Guinon took one look at Will and said,

'Fruit juice for you, my friend.'

'Guinon!'

'Your party has got hours to go, you don't want to miss it, do you?'

Will looked blearily at Guinon and said,

'Can't be sober at my own party.'

'I don't think there's any risk of that,' said Guinon, putting a large glass of orange juice in front of Will.

Guinon looked thoughtfully at Deanna and without a word poured her a glass of wine. Deanna sipped and said,

'Thank you, Guinon.'

They moved away from the bar and were soon surrounded by people again. Deanna sipped her wine and chatted, glad that Will had been deflected by a new group of arrivals. It would be good to discuss a couple of things with him but not in front of an audience. Half an hour later she decided that it was time to go. It was always hard to shield when she was surrounded by large numbers of people and now that she was getting tired she was starting to slip. She made her way over to Will and said,

'Night, Will.'

Will smiled drunkenly at her and said,

'Stay. The party's just getting started!'

'My shields are starting to slip. I'll see you tomorrow.'

Will pouted and said,

'Give me a kiss before you go then.'

Deanna lowered her shields slightly so she could read him and even through the mass of emotions from everyone else, she could tell that it wasn't just a kiss he was hoping for. Smiling flirtatiously, she said,

'Only if you close your eyes.'

Will smirked and closed his eyes. Deanna made eye contact with Elise Merron and beckoned her over, putting her finger to her lips. Eyes lighting up mischievously, Elise came over and took Deanna's place in front of Will. As Elise raised her lips to Will's, Deanna moved quickly away and was outside the cargo bay by the time Will realised that he was kissing the wrong woman. With a sigh of relief, Deanna went to bed.

The following afternoon, Deanna had just finished her last counselling session when she sensed Will outside her office. A few seconds later the chime sounded. Putting on her most serene expression, she said,

'Enter.'

Will came in and said,

'I've come to say goodbye.'

Deanna rose and walked over to him, saying,

'I'm going to miss you.'

He looked intensely at her and said,

'Come with me.'

Deanna took a step away from him, saying,

'I'm sorry, Will, I can't.'

'Won't, you mean.'

Deanna sighed, saying,

'Will, if you seriously wanted me to come you would have asked me weeks ago.'

Will went to speak, then stopped, saying,

'Sorry. It's just…'

'We were imzadi…'

'We _are_ imzadi, Deanna. Nothing's changed.'

Deanna resisted the temptation to ask him how things were the same as when they had become imzadi; their lives were completely different now. Instead she said,

'Will, you'll always be my friend but we haven't been lovers for a long time. I'm with Jean-Luc now.'

Will looked sadly at her, saying,

'So is that it? This is how it's going to end?'

'Yes,' said Deanna feeling tears starting to fall.

Will pulled her to him and kissed her hard. She pulled away and he let her go immediately, turning away from her and saying,

'Take care of yourself, Deanna.'

He strode out of her office before she had a chance to reply.  
>Deanna curled up on the couch and cried.<p>

Two hours later, Will said his formal goodbyes in the Observation Lounge, exchanging hugs with everyone before leaving to catch his transport back to Utopia Planitia and the Eddison.  
>Deanna sighed as she watched him leave, he had been such a big part of her life for such a long time and now she might not see him for years. Jean-Luc looked over at her and his affection and concern washed over her, making her feel warm and protected. Smiling gently, she went over to him and they left the Observation Lounge together.<p>

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